Chico's Story
In late June, BARCS welcomed 15-year-old Chico into our care. He was found by a kind citizen while they were out walking; Chico ended up following them home! This big-hearted person kept Chico in their care for 10 days while they tried to find his human to no avail. During our intake examination, we scanned Chico for a microchip, and we were delighted to see he had one. Unfortunately, the phone numbers associated with the chip weren…
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Harper's Story
Last week, one-year-old Angus needed our help. He was found abandoned in a crate on the side of the road in zip code 21228. The sun was beating down on his poor, frail body. He was lethargic, weak and severely dehydrated, and his legs were covered in urine and feces. Due to his critical state, our team opted to send Angus directly to a partner Franky Fund veterinary clinic for IV fluid therapy, bloodwork and round-the-clock c…
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Reunited With Senior Dooby
Five days ago, Dooby went missing. His dad had injured his foot and was relying on a friend to help him with letting his dogs out to go potty. Because of Dooby’s senior age, the friend let his guard down, turning his back on Dooby while he was searching for a spot to do his business. When he turned back around, Dooby was gone. Dooby is just a few days shy from 17 years old. He is consistently on daily heart medication. The race to find …
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20-Year-Old Kimbo's Story
At BARCS, we never say no to an animal in need—and that includes senior animals. Our Love Last Forever Program supports the care of BARCS' homeless senior animals and sponsors their adoption fees in order to shorten their stay at the shelter and find them loving homes. Last year, BARCS' Love Lasts Forever Program sent 700 senior pets to forever homes. Saying "yes" to senior animals is expensive, but it will always be a pa…
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Barak Is Finally Home After Devastating Home Explosion
Last week, Barak, a very special shelter resident, was reunited with his dad after nearly four months of emergency boarding at BARCS. Back in October, Baltimore made national headlines when several neighboring houses in our city exploded. One of the homes belonged to Barak and his dad. It was by a miracle that they narrowly survived the disaster which resulted in other fatalities. Barak was transferred to BARCS and his dad to shock trauma where …
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Not Me Without Tiger
During the holidays, we received so many wonderful love letters from our adopters. This one from Kira, about her BARCS dog Tiger, is extra special and so we want to share it with you. I adopted Tiger after buying my first home, feeling settled and ready for the commitment of a dog. I walked into BARCS the day before a work trip so that I knew I wouldn't make the spontaneous decision to come home with the first dog I saw. I walked the room…
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A Second, Second Chance for Tom
Tom's first adoption didn't work out, but that's simply because fate had better plans. Here is his story. I saw Tom on the BARCS website and instantly fell in love with his sweet and gentle face. When I showed my family the photo, however, all of them were leery of his pit bull-type features. I heard everything from: “You hear stories about those dogs” to “You have little kids, don’t be irresponsible.&rdquo…
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14-Year-Old Coco's Best Days
The Benson family offers an emotional and beautiful reflection on the unexpected gift of adopting a super-senior shelter dog with medical needs. *** Dear BARCS, In February of 2019, my boyfriend and I took a chance on a 14-year-old pit bull mix named Coco at BARCS. I always wanted a pittie-type dog, and when I saw her pictures on BARCS website, I instantly knew she was the special one for us. I already had a senior dog at home and thoug…
Read MoreShy's Final and Forever
Last week, we received a handwritten letter in memory of a dog we immediately recognized, Shy. When Shy was at BARCS, she was overlooked, a medical mess and down on her luck. We promoted her on a local TV news spot, but still no one came for her. When we posted her photo and story to our Facebook page, it received thousands of shares and hundreds of comments. Shy was the most famous dog in Baltimore that day. But none of that really mattered, be…
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Peaches Finds Forever
Poor Peaches was in need of a second chance. She came to BARCS through our partnership with Baltimore City Animal Control when officers impounded Peaches and her sibling after they were found living in unsafe conditions. Right away, it was evident that Peaches needed some TLC—she was very underweight and anxious for attention. Adopter Tori M. had just met a small dog she was interested in when she saw Peaches practicing walkin…
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