Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS): Shelter+ Challenge Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
As Maryland’s largest open-admission shelter, BARCS does not turn away any animal in need of shelter, food and a loving touch. BARCS grants refuge to every abandoned, neglected, abused, lost or surrendered animal that comes through our doors -- totaling over 12,000 animals annually.
The BARCS Medical Care Fund provides ongoing in-house medical care for all of our shelter animals, including antibiotics, vaccinations, testing, parasite control and spay-and-neuter surgery so that they are ready to be put up for adoption to the community. This is where the generous $1,000 Petfinder Foundation funding was used; it enabled us to get almost 35 female dogs spayed prior to their adoption!
The Medical Care Fund was created to provide the funding for routine medical care for all 12,000 animals that come to BARCS at a cost of almost $500,000 annually. BARCS houses almost 250 cats and dogs in the shelter at any given time, plus over 700 more in foster care. The majority of animals that come to BARCS are not altered, have no proof of a vaccine history, and are often ill due to being neglected or abandoned. Once in the care of BARCS, all animals are vaccinated, provided with flea treatment and dewormer and are tested for various diseases as needed upon arrival. In addition, BARCS spays or neuters all of its animals in the shelter’s surgical suite prior to adoption.
Medical care for the animals at BARCS is the largest part of our budget and where funding for our shelter is always most critically needed. BARCS has dramatically increased the number of animals saved every year, but there are so many suffering, neglected and abandoned pets that still need our help and that require ongoing medical care and where funding from this grant was applied.
How many pets did this grant help?
This grant enabled us to spay almost 35 female dogs before they were adopted!
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
Sometimes it takes a village to find a forever home, and it’s happy tails like these that remind us how amazing the rescue community can be! Shauna came to BARCS a few months ago after she was left tied to a pole. Neglected and suffering from a skin condition known as Demodex, Shauna’s skin was very uncomfortable and her entire belly was red hot and hairless. Thanks to some networking and old friends, a former volunteer photographer at BARCS saw Shauna’s picture online. It was love at first sight.
Shauna, now named Sunday, is finally home! After a few days at a local vet hospital to recover from her cold and finish up some of her skin medications, Sunday had the first-class treatment and caught a private plane to meet her new mommy in South Carolina! Living the high life as a Southern belle, Sunday’s mastered the fine art of cuddling and loves her new family.
