I adopted a kitten from here in the fall and she has been such a wonderful addition to our household! I've read a lot of the reviews on here and some made me hesitant but after going there I think BARCS is an amazing organization considering the circumstances! Many of the negative reviews don't seem to understand what goes on behind the scenes. BARCS is directly connected to Baltimore City Animal Control and thus has to take in EVERYTHING they are brought. Despite being the largest animal shelter in Maryland, space is limited. To save as many lives as possible the main goal is to get animals adopted and out of the shelter so they can care for another animal in need. BARCS is a nonprofit and runs mostly off of donations. The fact that pet support even exists as a department is incredible! They do so much for the Baltimore community and truly try their best to keep families together. Please keep in mind that BARCS is underfunded and understaffed. If you see a staff member taking a break, please be considerate and think about how mentally and physically exhausting it is to work in a place where every day is an SPCA commercial. BARCS also depends heavily on volunteers. Working with animals can be unpredictable. Thank you to everyone who enters those doors with a good attitude! read more

We had one of those nightmare days when you take someone you love to the vet, and leave without them... I couldn't stop crying. So I started perusing the Barc's website, looking for someone new to sidetrack me, and to love. Once we were at the shelter, I let Jeremy pick out our new family members. He wanted an orange moron, since we've never had one of those, and a kitten... you go back and check out the three rooms of cages, write down who you want to meet, and they call you back to open the cages so you can handle the cat... see how it reacts, see how you react. First cage, first room, this skinny little tortie, with giant ears locked eyes with Jeremy and it was love at first sight. We named her Mazikeen Star... she's been with us for a week now and she's living up to her demon name in the best way possible. She's a snuggler, under the blankets, purring her ass off, happy as can be, lovebug. She's also already earned the name MaziQueen, because her two pound ass thinks she's in charge and isn't afraid to let our other two cats know it. Then, to complete the set, Jeremy also decided on the last cat, in the last cage. He's a orange and white fluffy loveable sweetheart. He was also sick. They tried to talk us out of taking him because he was being medicated and needed eye drops, but Jeremy started pouting and they relented. We still had to wait until the next day to pick them up because they needed to be spayed and neutered. Yesterday we took Cooper Sharp (our Creamsicle boy) to the vet and ran up a $500+ bill because he was still so congested it was clearly difficult for him to breathe and the medicine the shelter gave us had run out several days before. He sneezed bloody mucus all over Jeremy and so we took him in for an emergency appointment. They sent us home with nose drops, two different meds, and a bunch of other stuff. He has a respiratory infection, which is highly contagious. So much so that the vet and tech wore disposable gowns while handling him so they wouldn't infect the other patients. And they instructed us to wait outside until they had an exam room ready so we wouldn't be in the waiting room. When we left, we went through a side door. He's doing better today, and I hope by the time he finishes this round of meds, he'll be better than he ever was. I'm looking forward to spoiling these guys and giving them the best lives ever. read more

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I began fostering a young dog from BARCS back in January. Had her for nearly 2 months before she was adopted. She was adopted by a family in mid March. I was instructed to bring her in for spaying before handing her over to the adopter family. Dropped off the dog early on the appointed morning for spaying and was told to return at 4pm to pick her up. Arrived to pick her up and she was brought out by an attendant, handed over to me and I was told she had already been spayed. It was obvious she had been sedated and was groggy and whimpering. Now, I had asked BARCS after I got her in January if she had already been spayed because it was obvious she had been shaved for surgery. Poor girl, they almost cut on her again for no reason. It gets better. The adopter family had her for less than 2 days before they contacted me wanting to get rid of her. She could be a handful and I knew how to handle her and had instructed them not to return her to BARCS or any other shelter. I took her back into my home and intended to keep her permanently. After she was adopted, she was no longer property of BARCS. A week ago, BARCS blows up my phone and email and wants her returned so they can do an intake on her. I question them about why and told them they had no rights to ownership any longer. Stupidly, I took her back to BARCS and was told she would be returned to me in 3 days. 3 days goes by and they tell me she has been adopted by another family. Monday evening (04/20) I look at their site and there she is available for fostering or adoption. Apparently, the family that adopted her could not have a pet where they lived. Was this true? I have my doubts. I reach out and tell them I will be down Tuesday morning to adopt her. Before leaving to go get her, I see an email from Veronika Graham informing me this animal has been placed in a "rescue shelter" and is not available to be adopted. Well, I smelled bullshit and told Veronika Graham as much. I questioned her how none of this adds up, but she has not and I do not expect a response from her. BARCS lied and removed an animal from a good home. Mine. On one hand, I respect an organization that does good things for animals in need. On the other, it is quite apparent one hand does not know what the other hand is doing there in their offices. I never should have returned this animal to these people. Now, I will most likely never see her again. read more

BARCS - "Cheryl" enjoying the view at Stoney Run Park this past January. - Animal Shelters Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

I adopted my senior cat from BARCS! He was extremely well taken care of and they even provided me with medication that he needed at adoption. So happy that BARCS gave me my baby!!! read more

BARCS - Animal Shelters Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

An amazing animal shelter that goes above & beyond to ensure all the furbabies and their prospective parents find each other while saving 1000s of pets a year. If you're interested in fostering or adopting please go to BARCS . read more

BARCS - Our baby Finn - Animal Shelters Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Two years ago, in 2024, i went to this BARCS after getting my puppy because they were having a deal on vaccinations. Myself and a few other patrons, all black and brown, were standing outside waiting to be assisted, which was customary for all BARCS locations i was told. But as we were standing there for maybe 15 to 20min all you saw were these other (white) patrons just walked into the building. Right then I was starting to question everything. I was only 18 at the time so I felt like if i said something i wasn't going to be heard or just plain ignored. A worker ended up coming out and telling all of us that they were no longer doing vaccinations but there was a hospital down the street that was. I followed the directions from the worker and went there, it was nothing but a regular hospital, not a pet hospital. I know that Baltimore City has a history with racism but I had yet to experience any form of blatant racism in my life up until that point. It was very overwhelming and frustrating and really diminished my mental health. Now i could have everything wrong, but i really don't think i do. If you're black or brown, don't go here. read more

BARCS adopts out sick cats without providing appropriate treatment or informing the adopters. I took a cat there as an emergency (I would never take a cat there otherwise) after he was put outside for not using the litter box. He has a history or UTIs and needed to be checked for diabetes. I explained everything in detail to the desk staff, who ignored it all and excitedly said they would adopt him out that day (friendly cat). They said he'd see the vet, and I trusted that he would. Bottom line: he received no treatment, and the adopters were not told he eliminates in the house, or of course they would not have adopted him. This shelter is the only refuge for cats in emergencies, and it is heartbreaking that it's such a horribly run place. Their primary goal is to get animals out the door alive in order to claim they are a no-kill shelter. The cat I dropped off has paid the price. read more

Best adoption place I can see that the staff really for these animals . The adoption process is very fast and easy .

ADOPTERS, PLEASE BEWARE! We adopted a cat from BARCS on October 12th. The cat needed oral surgery before he came home to us, which one of BARCS partners had performed. When we picked up the cat, he had severe eye and nasal discharge and was drooling. We had thought this was a result of the surgery. After 4-5 days, we introduced the new cat to our 2 other cats. Within a couple of days, both of our cats had symptoms of a severe upper respiratory infection. They had nasal and eye discharge - and they couldn't BREATHE. We had to rush and get IMMEDIATE supportive therapy. One of our cats is responding to the therapy and is slowly improving. We had to EUTHANIZE our other cat, whom we had for 15 years. We had gone to 3 different vets for care, and ALL THREE said that the virus was almost certainly from the cat we adopted at BARCS. We emailed BARCS to let them know - and to hopefully have their vets improve their screening. We have not gotten ANY response. Of course, we'll keep the new adopted cat - but we are heartbroken over the loss of our other cat. We have adopted several cats from shelters in the past 25 years, and we've never brought one home that had a health issue that actually KILLED an existing pet. I've attached a picture of our beloved cat "Tommy" as he was a few months ago - before he died from the virus brought into our home from the new BARCS cat. And of course - there has been no response from BARCS. Adopters beware! read more

BARCS - Tommy - before he had to be euthanized. - Animal Shelters Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

I first heard of BARCS after I found a lost pitbull on a hot summer day sitting behind my apartment building. I managed to get her into my car and immediately took her to BARCS. Upon arriving, the staff was kind, patient, and efficient. They gave her plenty of pets to calm her nerves and even found a chip! They promptly called her owner who picked her up later that day. I'm so glad BARCS could facilitate such a speedy reunion for this sweet pup! About a year after that first interaction, I was browsing the BARCS website and found an adorable photo of a little kitten. I always dreamed of adopting a black cat and this seemed like a sign to take the leap! I was put into contact with her foster Mom who was kind, informative, and prompt. She answered all my questions and arranged a meet up for me and the kitten. Seriously, BARCS has an awesome network of fosters and it's clear they do a lot to find great people to help out. It's been a year since I adopted Masha (formerly known as Trinket) and she is an absolute dream! I am so grateful to have her in my life and it's been amazing to watch her grow from a scared shelter kitten to a rambunctious (and spoiled) cat. I can't thank BARCS enough for doing what they do every single day of the year. They've helped countless animals find new homes and get the care they need. I am so happy I have a new best friend thanks to BARCS! read more

BARCS - Masha 1 year after being adopted! - Animal Shelters Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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Amazing people Staff really care about the animals and all of the animals seems to be well taken care of

My wife is a sweet wonderful and sensitive person that loves animals and loves volunteering at BARCS. However, today she came home crying because an employee wanted to yell at her because the dog she was walking was barking. A person who is trying to help should not take verbal abuse from a male employee because of the actions of the animals you are trying to save. This employee, part of the behavioral team was wearing a mask and was working today April 23, 2024. As a member of the behavioral team one would think he would know a good leader does not yell at people and instead uses a greater means of communication. This is unacceptable. Maybe he should have training on soft skills with people because he definitely is ruining the opportunities of love for the animals. They need to train the employees to deal with people as much as they deal with animals. read more

Horrendous! With over 20 years rescue experience in the US and Canada. This was the rudest lady.... I have filed a police report with her threatening myself, and our family. Unequivocally - without hesitation rescue an animal no matter what - it appears this lady is running a rescue for large profits - taking animals from their parents too soon. Meeting with some other concerned citizens - it appears there is no regard for the well being of the animal. Fees are extremely high - pay them to rescue by all means, put the animals first. Never experienced a business owner yelling / swearing / threatening prior to even meeting in person. Beware please! read more

Hello my name is Rhonda I had an horrible experience at BARCS I came in to adopt an puppy and I found the right one i was told the puppy had some health challenges it didn't matter to me I just wanted to give her a good home so I went through the process scanning my phone and all an interviewer came out to show me the puppy I loved her at first sight and the puppy was so cuddly so the interviewer said everything was fine all I had to do is go in and tell the person at the front I wanted to get ebb so I did that and the first desk person said I couldn't get her because of health issues I was like wow why would you have the puppy on the floor knowing the puppy have lots of health problems and put people through all the changes read more

I found a stray in my neighborhood and took him to BARCS to get fixed so I could keep him. I fed him and built a rapport and he began to meet me at my door when I would come home. They said they would call me in a few days. I didn't hear back for a week and I dropped by just to check up on him....and they gave him away. The receptionist apologized, but she didn't flag him as having someone interested in him so he was given away. The kicker.....the receptionist said the same thing happened the day before. Nice read more

they are super extremely slow & they don't really be doing anything they're over staffed for a lil bit of customers they sit in front of the computer watching video, eating, etc I just find this unprofessional, and annoying for people that are here for emergencies they act like it's no big deal ,nor do they pick up the phone , I just feel as though this place should be permanently shut down read more

Very very busy shelter! Each and every-time I go the front area is packed with people waiting to go see animals or waiting to see if they can adopt one!! The staff even though they are busy are very pleasant. The process is you sign in as soon as you get there and you can walk back and see the animals that are are interested in. There are labels on the wall that show you cats or dogs. Just an FYI if you see a sign over a door that states employees over but has animals in there it's because it is a sick area and you have to go back up front to have an employee go with you...just so you know because I didn't and missed out on two rooms of dogs. They normally have a full house with dogs each time I go. They have all different sizes, from Maltese to cane corso. This shelter offers so much with their dogs that are up for adoption. You get the shots and no animal leaves without being spayed or nuetured, which I think is WONDERFUL!! They also offer training with their in house trainer for the life of the dog! That's amazing because every dog needs help from time to time and some owners aren't sure where to start. This shelter also takes a lot of time with high risk animal rescues and it just warms my heart!!! BARCs is such an amazing facility!! Do yourself a favor!! If you are interested in adoption a dog check this place out!!! read more

BARCS - Sign out front - Animal Shelters Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Amazing staff and volunteers here that show true love for every animal there. The shelter also provides critical services to both the people and animals of Baltimore (vaccine clinics, education, pet care supplies, etc). read more

Beware of fostering for this place. I thought long and hard before writing this review. I fostered a cat for BARCS a few weeks ago and had the worst volunteer experience of my life. I hate saying this because I want people to help animals in shelters/rescues and they always need volunteers, but I don't want anyone else having the experience I had. I had never fostered before, but have had several cats throughout my life. The first red flag was the foster application process. I filled out the online application and received an auto-reply email saying that I was now ready to foster with BARCS. Huh? There was no interview or anything. The email said I could just come down to the shelter to get an animal to foster, no appointment needed (it said the same thing on the BARCS website). However, the email also had a Facebook page to find cats to foster (most of whom were not up for adoption yet because they were kittens or sick/injured and receiving medical care) and then there was also a Trello board that did not have the same cats that were on the Facebook page. So. Many. Red. Flags. I called BARCS the next day and, while I could not get a human on the phone, the automated system had an option for volunteers and fosters. I chose that option where a recording said that to volunteer or foster you had to first attend an in-person orientation which I could book on the website. Finally I got in touch via email with a foster coordinator who told me that, no, I did not have to attend an orientation to foster, just read the foster manual which was in the automated email. A couple of days later, the foster coordinator asked me if I could foster a FeLV positive cat who was up for adoption on the BARCS website. The info on the website said he was brought in by Animal Control when his owner died and had been shut down in the shelter. The foster coordinator was having a tough time finding a foster placement because FeLV is highly contagious between cats, so he needed to be the only cat in the home. We talked about off-site adoption events and my having to meet with potential adopters. I was led to believe that this was a ready-to-adopt cat. The foster manual said that there would be a meeting when I got the cat to go over the foster contract and medical info. When I went to pick him up I did not meet the cat first. The foster coordinator simply took my carrier, got the cat, and brought him out to the lobby. Then she said she would email me his medical info and the foster contract. There was no meeting. It was not until I got home that I saw the contract which had me fostering him for a month. No timeline had ever been discussed. Anyway, disaster struck 48 hours after I brought the cat home. The cat bit my forearm when I gave him some kitty treats and I had to go to the ER. When I called the foster hotline, I was asked if I wanted to return him, despite the fact that their own foster manual states that bites have to be reported, and a state law requires that animals must undergo a 10 day bite quarantine once they have bitten someone. This was not a choice I should have been asked to make. I did not feel safe with the cat and did not feel comfortable handling him as I was bleeding and the cat was wailing in the next room. It turned out that the cat had been alone in an apartment after the owner died for about three or four weeks. They didn't tell me that this was a traumatized animal. I was then told that if I lived in the City of Baltimore that Animal Control could come get him. No, I do not live in the City of Baltimore, a fact that I told them when I first discussed fostering. I was told to call my local Animal Control and have them come get the cat and then they could transfer him back to BARCS. HUH? That was not my job. It was THEIR job. Anyway, a local Animal Control officer came out, and had to call the BARCS Foster Coordinator, and apparently had some choice words for how they handled the whole situation. I talked to the Assistant Director that week because I was so upset at the whole situation. She sounded really flustered like she didn't know what to do other than say sorry. I had to have an IV of antibiotics, a week of oral antibiotics, rabies shots (the cat had just been vaccinated 10 days prior to my getting him and the rabies vax takes 28 days to have a full effect and no one knew this cat's prior exposure or vaccination history), and a tetanus booster and the best she could say was sorry. Good grief. Then she never followed up with me about the status of the cat despite saying she would do so. I had to call back myself to find out that they euthanized him due to not having space for him at the shelter. So, they vaccinated and neutered this poor cat, treated his ear infections, traumatized both me and him, landed me in the ER, and put him down once he was returned. What a huge waste of resources and a horrible experience for an already traumatized animal. read more

Sent me a letter saying they received a donation in my pets name after I had to have him put down at a vet. that vet ended up being a scam vet and after reading these reviews it looks like this place is too. So the emergency vet I used overcharged me enough to make donations I didnt ask them to make? after I spent thousands on a dog with cancer? this entire business model these emergency vets, cremation services, shelters, are just people giving kick backs to each other and keeping the Ponzi scheme moving. I dont want my dogs name associated with companies like this and you shouldnt support businesses with these kind of reviews. Stop ripping people off and scamming cash from them when they are grieving. read more

Because they are heartless when it comes to disappointing little kids. We had 2 dogs were had to reserve to look at but when it came time to look they said 1 dog met the 3 person quota for Adoption application but the other one was okay to see with my kids. They make you visit in order to put in a adoption application. So after we got to play and see the other dog we went back inside to put in our adoption request and the rude people who said to wait said "Its already met the quota for adoption" so you can't even be on a waiting list. I ask why not amd they say because they don't want to get your hopes up. Meanwhile they don't mind breaking your hopes right in front of your kids!! Never donating to BARCS ever again!! read more

BARCS - They QR code they make you scan in order to even see the dog. - Animal Shelters Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Adopted this beautiful boy named Patty last weekend. (You've heard of a Boy Named Sue?) Sure, it took about 2 1/2 hours start to finish, but it is a busy shelter staffed by volunteers. It was a rainy day so we expected it to be a quick trip and not many people there. Boy, were we wrong! The tiny office was packed!!! The only real grievance I had was having to do the meet and greet outside in the pouring rain. It made us feel rushed in seeing and choosing between the two dogs that we saw and didn't even ask to see the third one. A covered area for situations like this would be nice. I'm not sure why Patty was overlooked for almost 2 months, but he is the most lovable, well behaved shelter dog I have ever met. He always wants to be by our side, on the couch, or laying in the kitchen floor while cooking. He was already housebroken and crate-trained. Despite Barc's warning that he eats bedding, he has not chewed the bed in his crate at all. I'm guessing it was just a nervous reaction to all the other dogs in the facility. He has a bit of a cough and some hoarse breathing (left over from an upper respiratory infection) which we are getting checked out, but overall he is very healthy and happy. Overall, this has been a wonderful experience and we look forward to continuing to work with BARCS on training Patty with his socialization skills. Who knows, we may decide to foster someday, too. read more

BARCS - Animal Shelters Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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I would think twice before adopting a pet from this organization. They willfully misrepresent the temperament of a given animal, in order to encourage people to adopt it. This does a disservice to the animal, as well as to potential adopters. At best this can lead to an extremely difficult adjustment period for both the pet and the adopter. At worst it can lead to an outcome where an ill-suited animal is sent to a home where it does more harm than good. BARCS has all the flashy, glitzy social media marketing, but aside from that, they're no different than any other regional animal shelter. read more

Recently adopted a cat from BARCS and had a great experience. The facilities were very clean and the cats had little hideouts in the cages incase they felt overwhelmed by visitors. The cages were clearly marked if a cat had special medical concerns or was still under stray hold. A very helpful worker helped point out some cats that would be a good match for me after explaining what I was looking for. I opted for the adoption package that came with food and a carrier, very reasonable adoption fee. An adoption coordinator went over my cat's health history and reason he was surrendered. They also explained some ways to help him settle in at home and ways to help resolve common behavior issues. Yes, there was a wait of about 45min after signing my paperwork but this is a busy shelter run primarily by volunteers. The best part, in my opinion was the free health voucher. Your new pet gets a free exam and over $200 in free treatments if you bring it for a checkup within 14 days of adoption. Can't recommend BARCS enough. read more

BARCS - Animal Shelters Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Peace I'm doing a follow up on my first review. It appears after turning up the heat. barc contacted me to inform me, they had lost my dog's remains. They couldn't offer any explanation as to why this occurred. The only thing was that they were sorry and will refund the fee they charged me. I had my dog 18 wonderful years and he transcended more than a pet he became family friend and cherish loved ones. I will commend barc for their mission and even they were able to help me however the animal owner relationship continues even into death. Like it is said The mission is not done until everyone comes home Well it was my mission to take care of my dog Not having his remains returned means my mission is not complete. How this happens makes me feel this happens often Or they just done care about the needs of the deceased family Sure many just let the pet go to a mass internments That's understandable however I chose to have my friend returned Barc denied me of this With mixed emotions I could go on But I will close IF YOU HAVE END OF LIFE CONCERNS FOR YOUR PET STAY AWAY FROM BARC BALTIMORE read more

We got our sweet Ella (short for "Cinderella"... we are a Disney family here folks) from BARCS last February and we were so pleased with the whole process from start to finish. BARCS takes in a lot of strays and they are usually very full and very busy! The staff and volunteers were so helpful and friendly. We got to meet Ella (formerly known as Alloy at BARCS) and once we saw her up close it was love at first sight! BARCS helped us glide through the paperwork necessary to adopt her and they gave us a small bag of dog food and an instructional class about caring for an adopted dog. You can bring your own leash and collar or they have some available for purchase there. We absolutely love BARCS and if you are looking for a pet I couldn't recommend adopting a rescue from them highly enough! read more

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Learned a lot about this place. A large group tried to save an innocent baby , and they fully rejected that. This place is not at all what I thought it was, and they have a lot of secrets that have completely come to life. Word spreads and the truth will come out. read more

My furbaby needed to get spayed for health reasons. I was so nervous about the procedure but spoke to Akasia. Who put me not only at ease but assured me that my baby would be well cared for and she was taking the truth. While getting spayed they found out that my furbaby had another issue and contacted me. They not only cared for by furbaby, they also saved her life which I will forever be thankful for. Thank you to Akasia, the veterinarians, and the staff for not only saving my baby but also caring for her!! read more

So welcoming and really care for the animals. You can tell the staff find meaning in their jobs.

Naya was such a sweetheart, she was super informative and professionalB She made my process of adopting so peaceful. I would recommend BARCS to anyone in need of an animal. read more

I LOVE the people here. The folks are so kind-hearted. I cannot say enough good things about them. It is overwhelming some days being here with so much going on. The love and support they continue offer to the animals and people that come through their doors each day is incredible. Thank you for all you do each day to help the helpless. You are the faith in humanity I needed. read more

BARCS - Animal Shelters Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

This place makes me uncomfortable. I used to volunteer here and always felt the staff was rude or in the way. I heard staff calling people and children dumb. I've gotten dirty looks in the cat area and spoken to people just for the staff member to rush out. Now, the animals are killer. They are amazing. I've dealt with cats deemed aggressive and got a positive response from the animal. One of the staff will come behind me or play with them (attempt to play) ahead of my chance to be with the cat and the cat isn't trying move. Animals know when you love/care and when you don't. You can pretend all you want to your boss and the people. But the animals are not fools. I even went in the dog area and saw sad faces and barking that ceased when I walked pass. When a staff member walks pass, it's barking and anxiety. What are you people doing to your animals and what is wrong with your attitudes? Treat honest people with respect and stop hiring low-life people who only know how to kiss up to the right people to stay hired. I went out for an interview here a few weeks ago and felt a bad feeling in my gut. The two guys where very judgmental and critical. Of course the bad people always have an opinion. I ended up getting hired someplace else a day after the interview and my gut assured me I made the right decision. I haven't been back to volunteer. There is something wrong when the animals aren't that happy and neither are the people trying to adopt. read more

Thank you sponsors, donors for making this facility happened. I visited this facility in December to bring in donations, and I am so happy for the animals that they have this wonderful shelter. Continue to do a great job for the humanity. I applaud your service. read more

BARCS - Animal Shelters Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Absolutely! The staff are Pet Angels. We have adopted from BARCS a few different times in the past 25 + yrs and have experienced nothing short of excellent customer service. The building is always very clean. read more

Will NEVER donate or adopt a animal from there. Again! Went through the whole adoption process, waited for him to be Fixed(CAT)GOT EVERYTHING SET UP FOR HIM AT HOME and even send pictures out to family and friends only to be told when we went to pick him up that he was going to be given BACK TO THE FAMILY THAT Surenderd him in the first place!!! What a joke!! The place was so unorganized and we were told 3 different stories .I feel horrible for those poor animals but WE WILL NEVER BE BACK read more

All I want to say is, I had a terrible experience here as a potential foster. FYI if you want to foster dogs, you have to be able to foster pitbulls. The only way you can foster a breed that is NOT a pitbull is to say you can foster pitbulls (confusing right? I know). As someone who loves all animals BUT especially dogs, whose apartment, like many, doesn't allow certain breeds. I was shut out of fostering any dogs from BARCS for this reason. Long story short, I was asked instead to foster kittens, fine with me, until I started getting a slew of increasingly aggressive e-mails from the foster coordinator. It started with one that I forgot to respond to, then they started getting threatening "If I don't get a response BY TOMORROW, I will assume you are no longer interested. I would like the foster packet I printed out of pocket returned." Um...let me quote Gus Fring and say "I don't believe fear to be an effective motivator" ESPECIALLY when we're talking about fostering baby animals, WHACK! Today's? "Thank you for your un-responsiveness. I see you have removed yourself from the Facebook group, thank you." Um...what? I wrote a very direct e-mail back and the writer has since apologized. But I ask, how is that an OK e-mail to send? Totally unprofessional and completely snuffed out ANY interest I had in working with or supporting BARCS. If this is how they treat volunteers, people who are offering time and money to them for free, count me out. As an animal-lover, I don't want to lambaste an organization that, at the end of the day, is providing shelter and food for orphaned animals. BUT I don't want anyone to be blind-sided either. Fostering is a huge commitment - and people should know who they'll be working with. In short, like others, I felt BARCS was disorganized and this led to an extremely frustrating experience. Before the e-mail attacks, I actually asked to foster kittens but was told they didn't have any of my info on file (except...I did everything I was supposed to on my end to be an approved adopter). By the time they sorted it out, the kittens had another foster (yay kittens) I initially wanted to foster after seeing so many animal-loving friends in DC and VA have such awesome experiences (with other organizations), I'm disappointed I wasn't as fortunate. I can't comment on their treatment of animals, but I have serious problems with their treatment of people. It is NOT too much to ask for decency, less passive-aggressiveness, and professionalism in communication. Now I understand why BARCS only gets a 3/5 while similar organizations, like Maryland SPCA have an impeccable 5/5 on Yelp. There has to be something SERIOUSLY wrong for an animal rescue organization, of all things, to get negative reviews. (How much does it take to drive someone to negatively review a house for orphan animals? A LOT) Anyway I hope this review can help provide some feedback to BARCS so that this doesn't happen again - all animals deserve a loving home, but all people, ESPECIALLY volunteers, deserve decency and respect. read more

I only came to browse, since we are close to in need of some 4 legged friends. Parking is hard to find on a weekend. Came in and was able to sign in and was asked what I was searching for. I asked to look at both cats and dogs. Looked the cats first, and was shocked at the selection. I did not find any kittens or young cats that fit my criteria. Most were older or already had adoption pending. So I had the opportunity to walk through the dog runs and found not 1 but 2 German shepherds who were a packaged deal. I was so ready to put an application in but we were no way ready to take them home. But I will keep checking. read more

I have been trying to adopt a kitten from BARCS for the past four weeks. They are understaffed and the staff that is there is clueless. I have an approved application on file. When kittens become available, I send e-mails, thinking this would speed up the process; it appears no one even reads the e-mails. I arrive at BARCS only to be told there are at least three people ahead of me, because they were physically there first. The foster program for adopting is no better. I went to see a fostered kitten, was told I was the first person. Received a text next day from the foster parent informing me she would recommend me to BARCS. So I waited to hear from BARCS. Nothing. After 24 hours I contacted them and was told because I did not contact them immediately, the kitten went to someone else. There are plenty of shelters in Maryland and I would not recommend BARCS. read more

While it is great to have an organization like BARCS working with stays, my experience was not the best and I feel they really are just a spay/neuter and get em out the door type agency. I first saw Lady Q on July 3 at BARCS she was emaciated and about 34lbs. (She is a English Bulldog and should weigh about 45-50lbs) BARCS told me I could pick her up on that Sunday as she was still on a 72 hour hold. I asked several questions pertaining to her weight, her age and behaviors etc. I even asked about her shoulders and joints since she looked so weak and she was stumbling and not straightening up totally to stand/walk. I was assured by the staff that it was fine she was just skinny and what I was looking at was her underlying bone structure she would look and be more stable once her weight was up. On the Sunday I was to pick her up they told me I'd be called by 10am. I called since I had not heard anything and the staff told me the vet wanted to keep her and get her weight up as she lost 2lbs and went down to 32lbs. When I asked why no one called they apologized and said they would keep me posted going forward and asked if i wanted to do the adoption class and complete the package now (which I did and paid my $75 adoption fee for a 3 YEAR OLD dog). BARCS ended up keeping Lady Q (renamed Stella) for about 2-3 more weeks during which I called to see how she was doing and what her weight was since they did not keep me posted as requested. I asked questions about her behaviors as well as if I could visit or bring her a blanket, they told me no because of COVID. I understood. BARCS did get her weight up to 39lbs and spayed her and I got to bring my 3 YEAR OLD baby home. It took me a couple weeks to get an appiontment and wellness package set up at Banfield but we finally saw our vet yesterday. Stella now weighs 46lbs and the vet is very happy with that! I gave the vet copy of all the medical paperwork I got from BARCS from her intake on 7/1 until her release to me and asked the vet several questions pertaining to my continued observations of Stella issues with joint stiffness, issues with going up or down stairs, balance issues, and her just falling sometimes like she could not support her own weight. The outcome of the full exam is that my puppy is actually closer to 7 YEARS than 3. She has arthritis due to dysplasia (which is a breed issue) & old age. The Banfield vet said there was a lot of crackling, popping of her joints and stiffness during the movement exam (sorry for the non medical terms) and that Stella needs to be on a anti inflamitory pain med and that this will still advance even more as she continues to age. (Wow never heard of a3yr old dog with arthritis). My poor girl! I called BARCS because I felt they should not have charged me the $75 for a senior dog with expensive health issues for the rest of her life. The anti inflamitory is about $80 a month and as she continues to age there may be even more medical expenses for her to deal with this condition. I explained all of this and even scanned and emailed the vets consult notes and appiontment information of what was done for her initial exam. I was told that the manager on duty today would call me back. I recieved a call from Kenneth (?) The manager who I explained all this to again and the fact that their policy is senior dogs are free and I was charged for what I was told a 3yr old dog. I wanted the fee refunded. He told me after viewing the papers I sent that this was nothing more than the vets opinion and not a reason to refund the fee which wasn't much compared to all they did for the dog while in the shelter. He suggested that the only time the fee would be refunded is if the adoption didn't go through for any reason so I asked him if he was arguing I would have to surrender the dog to get the refund he said no that's not what he meant. He continued to act & speak as if the reputable vet I took Stella to was not being accurate as to her age and arthritic condition, insisted that eventhough the website says dogs over 5 have no fee that this does not apply to my dog since the BARCS vet acurately estimated the dog to be 3. my complaint went to the director, I would be called back today... no call. I think appropriately an apology for the smugness/rudeness & a refund of the fee my dog is well over 3 & has medical issues should be made. BARCS is not evaluating these animals properly, manager kept saying there's no record of any problems in the record and I wanted to tell him the staff pays no attention to anything about the dogs as I asked several times for specific information and the responce was always theres nothing in the notes. I would not get another dog from BARCS, customer service sucks, not thorough with their evaluations they are not truthful regarding any medical issues with the dog. read more

Let me start by saying that BARCS is appreciative of all their donations, support and volunteerism. I have not only adopted from BARCS but have also volunteered there for a day through my work. Unfortunately, it is a fact to say that the establishment is understaffed but it is also a non-profit organization... so it is to be expected I suppose. If you are looking to have a "quick" turnover/adoption this is NOT the place to go. You are better off going to an SPCA. It typically takes 2-5 hours to adopt an animal at BARCS but in all honesty, I don't fault BARCS for this As a resident of Baltimore City, I have seen many animals walking around the streets without a home or owner. So if you are super passionate about adopting an animal, especially a dog (maybe even a pitbull pup - which most of the shelter is full of) then you won't mind taking a couple of hours to straighten out the paperwork and adopt your four legged friend. BARCS is also highly known for its collaboration with many Baltimore Orioles players (Matt Wieters, Nate McClouth, Buck Showalter), as well as some Ravens (Torrie Smith). They are constantly getting involved to help support the mission of keeping animals off the street and not bullied by humans, which unfortunately is so common in the city of Baltimore. I will forever support the mission of BARCS and stand by it's ability to find furever homes for many of its animals! Keep spreading the word and love. My Moobear is super happy and it's thanks to you that I was able to give her a warm and loving home! read more

BARCS - The first day I met my BARCS pup, Moo. She came home with 4 days later :) - Animal Shelters Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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