BARCS Animal Shelter Awarded $3,000 Orphan Kitten Club Grant
Grant will increase BARCS’ resources to save neonatal kittens
BALTIMORE, June 3, 2026 — The Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS) today announced that it has been awarded a $3,000 innovation grant from Orphan Kitten Club (OKC), the nation’s leading charitable organization solely dedicated to advancing kitten welfare. These funds will support BARCS’ Cat Foster Program, which provides dedicated care for these vulnerable babies.
The grant will bolster neonatal kitten care by providing new incubators and heating discs. Kittens are unable to regulate their body temperature until three to four weeks of age and rely on their mother or an external heat source for the warmth necessary to support digestion, organ function, and their developing immune system.
Neonatal kittens ages zero to eight weeks are the most euthanized feline population in animal shelters in the United States, accounting for at least half of feline deaths. Heat support is just one example of the specialized supplies, skills, veterinary expertise, and overnight care they require that make them uniquely difficult to care for on-site in an animal shelter. For this reason, shelters and rescues heavily rely on volunteer foster parents to assist in the care of this vulnerable population.
“BARCS is thrilled to receive this much-needed support from the Orphan Kitten Club,” said Noelle Patterson, Director of Philanthropy and Communications. “This investment in neonatal kitten supplies will be the first-of-its-kind for the Cat Foster Program at BARCS. The long-term impact from this gift will give more vulnerable kittens the chance to survive and thrive into adulthood.”
Led by a panel of experts in animal welfare, veterinary medicine, and kitten wellbeing, the Orphan Kitten Club Mightycat program strategically selects partners based on their potential to create meaningful new impact for neonatal kittens. Following a bi-annual application period, the advisory panel thoughtfully allocates donor funds to partner programs that have proposed an executable and measurable plan to lower euthanasia rates, increase lifesaving capacity, enhance quality of care and/or contribute to groundbreaking research.
“Our Mightycat partners are shelters and foster-based rescues that are truly aligned with our mission to increase lifesaving programs for kittens under eight weeks old,” said Jackie Noble, Executive Director, Orphan Kitten Club. “We’re proud to partner with BARCS to move the needle for neonatal kittens.”
For more information, visit www.barcs.org.
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About BARCS
The Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS) is the largest companion animal shelter in Maryland. Each year, BARCS takes in 11,000-12,000 homeless animals including dogs, cats, small companion animals, wildlife, farm animals and exotics. As an open-admission shelter, BARCS does not turn away any animal in need of shelter, food and a loving touch and grants refuge to every abandoned, neglected, abused, lost or surrendered animal that comes through our door. Individuals from all over Baltimore come to BARCS every day of the week for reasons as diverse as reclaiming lost pets, adopting new furry family members, joining our foster and volunteer programs, and receiving free and low-cost resources to help them keep their pets in homes. BARCS' lifesaving programs seek to enhance the quality of life in our community through compassionate and impactful services to animals and people. BARCS makes a better community for Baltimore by providing humane care and shelter for homeless animals and promoting responsible pet ownership.
About Orphan Kitten Club
Orphan Kitten Club (OKC) is the nation’s leading charitable organization solely dedicated to advancing kitten welfare. A 100 percent donor-funded 501(c)3 organization, Orphan Kitten Club is led by a team of experts in animal welfare, veterinary medicine, and kitten wellbeing who thoughtfully identify Mightycat shelter partners and allocate donor funds to kitten programs, emergency veterinary care, and ethical research programs that create meaningful change and move the needle for neonatal kittens.
Neonatal kittens—those under eight weeks old—are the most vulnerable animals entering shelters, experiencing the highest mortality rates of any population. OKC works to make kitten lifesaving the standard in every community through a strategic four pillar approach: administering the first and only national grant program focused solely on neonatal kitten care and lifesaving; mentoring shelter leaders in implementing data-driven best practices; advancing veterinary medicine through ethical pediatric research; and running a specialized kitten nursery that provides around-the-clock expert care for neonates and kittens with complex medical needs.
Founded in 2016 by Hannah “Kitten Lady” Shaw, Orphan Kitten Club has awarded more than $4 million in transformative kitten-focused grants to save the lives of more than 250 thousand kittens in over 150 communities.
To become a club member–a monthly supporter of Orphan Kitten Club–visit donate.orphankittenclub.org/join. Follow us on Instagram or Facebook, or visit us at orphankittenclub.org.