We got our dog Sienna here two years ago. We plan on getting another from here hopefully next year. Im sure Sienna would love to have soneone to play with. To the people complaining that it is to crowded. I see it as a good thing, they are not turning away dogs. Tell people to come adopt. 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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Was there last night and was going to adopt but when we tried apparently the adoptee had a hold on him. He was brought in on July 31st. So we were told his hold would be over by midnight that night. Went there today and for 3 soild hours waited and waited and waited. Nobody would tell us anything besides the person who was supposed to do the adoption process couldn't do anything. Meanwhile there were numerous cats and dogs leaving left and right. We got there at 230pm and left at 535pm. That is ridiculous. I'm sorry but that's just wow..... read more

It is extremely busy here and you can see it. There are both customers and volunteers everywhere. I brought a stray kitten in and they were happy to take it in. The staff also did an incredible job transferring the kitten (I was scared it would fight because it did when we tried to put it in the carrier) and she even cleaned up the mess we made with the carrier once the kitten was removed. Per staff, they offer free neutering. Please email them instead of calling (tried calling three times and couldn't get anyone on the phone but received a response within 5-10 mins)! Some staff seemed preoccupied but most were extremely helpful! read more

BARCS - Hope the kitten finds a good home.. - Animal Shelters Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

There aren't enough great things to say about BARCS and the staff that work there. I adopted my dog Ashton, now Finn, from BARCS in February. The adoption process was smooth and straight forward. I went in on a Thursday afternoon with a pre-approved application and left with Finn that day. Everyone we encountered on the day of his adoption were helpful, efficient and seemed very passionate about what they were doing. Like most dogs, Finn has needed some training since we've adopted him. Not only have we taken advantage of the FREE BARCS obedience classes, but we've also had several FREE one on one training sessions with Matt. Matt is absolutely amazing at what he does. He takes the time to talk through any issues and concerns with you and has an amazing connection with the animals. I would definitely recommend BARCS to anyone and will be back for future additions to our family. read more

As an a person from a family of animal rescuers, I have never been treated so poorly at an animal shelter. I went in Friday and met an animal that stole my heart away. I was told to fill out an application and there would be a 24 hour hold on the cat. The next day I showed up to adopt my cat and find out that do to a mistake because their lack of employees my cat was already adopted. The issue I have is that no voicemail messages were left, when you call, no one answers and then when I asked for reduced pet adoption fee for another animal, I was told no we lose money on this already so there is nothing I can do.. I will not be adopting from this location and recommend to most to be cautious as you might find an animal you want to adopt but due to the short handed staff and volunteers, you will lose that animal and be forced to start the process over from the start. Very deplorable customer service with people that encompasses abhorrent manners. read more

I went last January to get a cat, and I found a really incredible super sweet orange cat. The people working were wonderful and so helpful and walked me through the entire process and made it very easy to adopt. You can tell how much everyone there really cares about the animals, and the people that come to adopt them. I absolutely 100% recommend going to BARCS read more

Two stars for the fact that they do a great deed for animals and the community. However, I wish I would've read these reviews before adopting and donating money to this shelter. We stopped by BARCS on August 11, 2019, looking to adopt a dog. We knew we wanted to rescue and saw online that BARCS had a large quantity of dogs to be adopted. We met with a few dogs but didn't have an immediate click. We walked by Stanford's cage, an 80lb, 3 year old pit, and wanted to meet him but he was sedated for surgery. The volunteer we were working with said that we should come back tomorrow, August 12, to meet him as he was worth the second trip and a staff favorite. We came back on Monday, August 12, to meet and adopt Stanford. After signing the paperwork, which included releasing BARCS of any further medical treatment costs, they asked if we were aware of his medical history, and we said no, as it was never even mentioned. They informed us that Stanford has a minor mobility issue in his hip and a fractured tooth - would've been nice to know before hand but we will get it checked out. We leave with Stanford, get home, and realize they did not give us the pain medication as listed on his paperwork as he was just neutered the day before. I called 30 times and could not get through. The next day we receive an email from Melanie following up on Stanford, now renamed Rocco. I inform her that he is doing great and adjusting to his new home well but I'm disappointed that we could not get through to ask about his medication and that we were never informed about his medical history. Melanie responded by apologizing and letting me know that they were busy on Sunday when we adopted him. Well, we got him on Monday, not Sunday. She also mentioned that we got a call to come get him while he was in surgery so his medical history wasn't known. Once again, we got him on Monday, he was neutered on Sunday, and I'm not sure what call she's referring to. The following weekend(8/17) we took Rocco to VCA Lewis as instructed by BARCS for his first visit after adoption. We were informed by their veterinarian that Rocco is actually closer to 6 years old and his hip issue is not minor, it's major, and we need to see an orthopedic specialist as soon as possible. I emailed Melanie letting her know we were highly upset with BARCS and that they completely lied to us about his age and history. 9 days later, no response. I sent a follow-up email yesterday, August 26, and I don't quite expect a response. I don't expect money towards the surgery he will need, I expect a sincere apology. Luckily for Rocco, I am able to provide him with the surgery, physical therapy, and care he needs, but if someone else had adopted him blinded as we were, they may not have been in the position to provide him the help he needs. It's extremely sad that BARCS is more concerned with pushing animals out their door than they are about the animals wellbeing. Your customer service is absolutely horrible. Instead of addressing an email in which you know you are wrong, you choose to ignore it. I'm not quite sure how you can take pride in BARCS while you're scamming adopters and hurting these animals. read more

Extremely rude staff. If you want the overwhelming amount of animals to go to loving homes maybe train your staff to not be such inconsiderate assclowns. I feel bad for all the potential pets that are missing out on good homes due to the staffs incompetence. read more

BARCS really discouraged me from adopting an animal die to how poorly they have handled my attempts to do so twice. When I initially went there to apply for a dog, I was told three different things by three different people. I went on a Saturday to get him to be told "He's definitely yours, come by tomorrow between 2-4 to get him." When I arrived the following day I was told he'd be reclaimed by his owners and "I should have known because they didn't call me." Though no one ever explained the process. I decided to give them another try, went in and applied for another dog and asked to be contacted in the event she was reclaimed. They said they did not have the staff to do so they would just remove her from the site. As they were explaining how they did not have the staff there were at least 8 people behind the desk. In short, im all about adopting instead of shopping but BARCS has turned me completely off and they would greatly benefit from more efficient communication. read more

Spent about 3-4 hours there one day applying for a dog and passing the meet and greet, only for this rude, 16 year old looking to turn around and tell us the dog needed $6k worth of dental work done. After hearing that I already changed my mind about getting her and was livid that they'd wasted my entire day with this dog that I suddenly couldn't afford to care for. And then the girl working there had the nerve to say "Well I don't want to send her home with YOU because I'd be setting her up for failure." Awful, dirty place, horrible conditions for the animals and rude staff. I feel bad for all of the animals they're preventing from being taken to good homes, they're certainly not being cared for there. I will never be back. My prayers go out to those animals supposedly in their "care." Appalling. Disgusting. Sad. read more

I need help I have a cat her name is Nala and I can no longer have her with me because my space is very small I love her very much but I could not keep her and I want to give her for adoption to a family that takes care of her and loves her, please interested comment on this post read more

BARCS - Animal Shelters Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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I was in a rather unique situation. After falling into the Facebook rabbit hole of dog rescue societies and dogs up for adoption I found a dog that instantly caught my attention. This dog was located in Egypt. I am located in Yellowknife, in the Northwest Territories. To get us together seemed like an impossible task. Especially when you consider that the Canadian border was set to close to import animals from egypt on Sept 28, 2022. Time was of the essence and I did not hold much hope. However, somehow against all odds BARCs Rescue not only linked us together but did it in such a seamless fashion. In a matter of a week BARCs had arranged a trip from Egypt to Calgary with assistance from Stray Dog Support (another excellent organization!). As they were working in the background to arrange this transport I had several individuals walking me through the adoption process. From application, to homecheck and finally to assisting me with arranging transport for my girl from Calgary to Yellowknife. Everyone went the extra mile to assist me. The volunteer that dropped Indie off at the airport texted me an update when she was dropped off and even provided the personal touch of including pictures for me to see how she was doing. I was concerned about how my girl would be with kids and cats and the volunteer helped alleviate that as well. I have had "Indie" Indiana Bones (formerly Batta) for a week now and though we have had some minor challenges settling in, BARCs and the resources they provide continue to assist me even after the adoption is completed! I completed a survey from a link to an app provided by BARCs in which you answer questions on how your pet is doing, well the quality and quantity of the resources and information provided has really helped alleviate any concerns I had. I would recommend this organization to anyone looking for a new family member. read more

I highly recommended this place, my boyfriend and I adopted two beautiful cats from barcs 2 and a half years ago , they are the most lovable babies I have ever met! We just adopted a puppy from them today , and she's already stolen our hearts! Adopt your beautiful fur baby from here read more

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1. They are understaffed. 2. They have tons of people volunteer to help. 3. They drive away 99% of those volunteers within 6 months. They are open about this fact. A lot of things could be fixed if they were nicer to their volunteers and trained them better, and thus didn't have an understaffing issue. 4. I give them four stars for saving so many animal lives (80-90%--close to 80% of the dogs). 5. Everything people are saying about their foster director is true. She's nuts. So is the volunteer director. 6. Very few people there seem to know how to deal with humans. Yes, I know your job is to help animals, but you need some people skills, too. I don't know what to suggest. Perhaps a company wide anti-complaining policy. That many employees and volunteers complaining is such a small space isn't healthy. Perhaps an understanding that you, BARCS, need more volunteers, so you cannot treat them with derision and condescension--this includes the volunteer manager (see someone else's review of the volunteer manager and her anger issues). More signs. People don't like feeling lost all the time and it would make things easier on you, the employees. By the way, your verbal directions aren't clear. Always have a competent and nice greeter. Note how many of reviews complain about the greeter. To members of the public: Good luck. Go there only with a friend so you can withstand the onslaught of negativity. Expect to spend three hours there at a minimum. Do not expect the website to be up to date. Do not expect it to be clear which animals are available for adoption. Do not expect to see a lot of dogs who are puppies. Do not expect a lot of dogs who aren't pitbull in some way, shape, or form. For the shortest wait, go at 3 or 4 pm on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. Or Sunday. No one knows they're open Sundays. Consider a pitbull mix. They're lovely mates, and the most likely to die in the shelter. If BARCS tells you the dog in "on behavior," believe them and move along. Or tell them you want to wait for that dog. You might be waiting weeks or longer. BARCS is a kill shelter. Try to rehome your pet yourself instead of taking a chance with its life in the shelter. read more

BLUF: unorganized and incompetent and almost exclusively pit bull mixes. I was looking for a second dog today that would get along with my current dog, Toto. I arrived before they were officially open but was allowed to fill out an application. I had my dog with me. The volunteer informed me that the kennels open at 2. He said I wouldn't be able to bring my dog back into the kennels (understandable); however, if I discovered one I thought would be a match, it could be brought out to meet my dog to see how they got along. Okay. Perfectly reasonable. Fast forward to a couple hours later. It's around 2:30 when I walk in with Toto. I wait for five minutes at the counter before I can even sign in, not due to a line, but simply because the workers are in disarray. Mind you, they've only been open half an hour. I sign in and everyone is very friendly. One of the ladies informs me that this other young woman would assist me with finding a dog. She comes around and I explain what the man had told me earlier. She had to go check with someone. She comes back and says that, yes, I can check out the dogs, and yes, Toto can't go back there. Perfect. Exactly what the guy told me. So I let her know that I'm here by myself so there isn't anyone to watch her. (Side note: I've been to many shelters, and every one I've been to has had an area for the already-owned dogs to wait, whether it's a pen, room, etc.) She looks bewildered. She suggests I leave Toto in the car while I look. Astonished, I remind her it's almost 90°F outside. She seems confused. She then tells me that even if I found a potential match today, they wouldn't be able to meet because the adoption application would have to go through. I try explaining how that doesn't make sense - why would I begin the adoption process for a dog that my own dog might hate? What?! Why wouldn't they meet?! She says something along the lines of "they can't meet on the same day you find one. You'd have to come back again for them to meet." Totally ludicrous! I walked out. This isn't the first time I've dealt with incompetence here. When I came to get Toto's city pet license, I waited in line for almost FOUR hours. I asked numerous workers/volunteers if I was required to stand in line since I just needed a license and Toto didn't need any shots, etc. They reassured me at least THREE times that yes, indeed, I needed to wait in the line (with her, mind you). Guess what? I didn't need to wait in line. Once I finally made it inside to get the license, the lady issuing those was flabbergasted I had waited all afternoon for a pet license. She apologized profusely. Something that should have taken 15 minutes max took four hours due to total incompetence. Also, go elsewhere unless you want a pit bull mix. read more

We went to Barctoberfest to have some fun with our dog. We saw one of the rescues and fell in love. We were talk we could do a meet and greet with her if it went well we could make arrangements to get her from the shelter. We waited 2 hours or so to do the meet and greet. I went to the tent to get some clarification on some of the details which were sketchy at best. The website said they got her in 5 days prior and the volunteers told us two weeks. Additionally we were told if we did not have a second card and kennel to put her in the meet and greet would be a waste of time. Here is the bottom line: 1) they seem to be more interested in not being inconvenienced than adopting a dog out to a good home 2) they do not know the background of the dogs 3) have a clear process for such an event and advise the interested parties what they will need The end result we pulled our application. We do not trust they are organized enough to be a resource if help is needed. Additionally we will not be returning to Barctoberfest next year. We are very disappointed read more

Our experience was just flat out terrible. The location itself isn't in the safest area, especially considering the fact that there are railroad tracks right next door. The staff took forever, but were nice for the most part. We came in to pick up our dog, and we got to see him in their holding area, but we came in under the impression that we could take him home with no issues on the day of. Unfortunately, due to some ludicrous and unspecific policies from Animal Control, our dog was to be neutered and held for two days. To add on to that, we had to pay a ton of fees, most of which would be irrelevant if we just took him home. We made it clear that our dog was not "at large" as Animal Control had inaccurately specified on the impound notice, as he was found walking around the neighborhood by a neighbor, and he was completely cooperative and under control. An Animal Control officer told us that if they are involved in any way, they must go through with the alterations to our dog before he can go home. Our dog is the sweetest and most loving dog in the entire world. He never bites, barks, or tries to do anything he shouldn't do with other dogs. The officers words cut deep, as it felt like our dog was being held for ransom. We saw him. He saw us and so obviously recognized us. He pawed at the the cage of the small area he was confined to in an effort to greet us. We left the room and the place as a whole empty-handed. What will our dog think? We saw him, left, and won't see him for days. To add to that, he will be taken into surgery and it will feel like hell to him. I'm beyond worried that not only will his behavior be drastically different, but that he will think we left him. The Animal Control laws are the main reason why we can't bring him home, so that isn't really BARCS' fault. The one star review is for the poor service, location, and conditions of the establishment. I'm sure that BARCS is a fine place to adopt a new pet, but unfortunately, our experience was anything but fine. read more

poor service, they never answer their phone. and most of their advertising on tv. are false pretense. when you get there, they want lot of adoption fees read more

I adopted my cat from BARCS a about a year ago.. Overall I was very very pleased with the whole experience. The staff was patient and helpful. BARCS might not look like anything fancy from the outside (or from the inside for that matter) but they are doing the best they can with extremely limited funding, the whole time I was there I saw staff and voulenteers working non-stop to keep kennels and cages clean and stocked. My cat was a 1 year old stray found in Baltimore City. She had an upper-respiratory infection upon intake to the shelter which they had medicated and treated. She was spayed, vaccinated, and microchipped. I got a bag of science diet food and a session with an adoption councilor who was very insightful. There was a promotion that month that waived the adoption fee if you adopted an animal who was over 1 year old (since everyone always wants kittens and puppies), so the only thing I paid for was the microchipping, which I requested, and was only $10. They are always running all kinds of adoption specials to waive what fees they can. They do same-day adoption if your pet is ready to be adopted which is great when you're excited to take home your new little one :) This place is a great operation doing the best that they can with limited funding. There are a staggering amount of amazing animals here who need a family. The shelter staff sincerely have the animal's best interests at heart and just want them all to find a great forever home. read more

Let me first start off by saying that I know the BARCS is over-crowded and under-staffed. I recently rescued a cat from a foster. I was lucky because that seemed to speed up the process. (I've heard stories of people waiting for over an hour just to go look at the cats). Still, when I went to pay for the cat and sign the contract, I waited over an hour and then when I went to have her micro-chipped, I waited 40 minutes, when I had a set appointment. I know I sound like a terrible person, but I wouldn't recommend adopting from BARCS, but from one of their associated rescues if you want to avoid waiting every time you have to go. The long waits (not to mention that the three times I went it seemed like there were at least 5 people chatting and not "working") is a hinderance. read more

Very torn with this place. They are always under staffed so there always seems to be mass confusion. I personally donated 7 of their lobby chairs and have volunteered numerous times and just as a volunteer didn't feel appreciated. On another note my heart goes out to them because they have tons of fantastic animals. So I am hoping they get it together and soon. So on the flip side a great place to find sweet loveable animals. Also be prepared for a looooong wait ( like for real talking 3-5 hrs) read more

I had heard such good things about Barcs so I got my cat from there. I wanted an adult cat but not older than 5. I was told she was four and her paperwork didn't show any health issues except for being underweight. I took her to the vet to find out she had diabetes and then when I told Barcs they said she showed no signs of it. They wouldnt offer a new cat or even a discount it's like they didn't care. They had been given her dry food which is really bad for cats with diabetes so I continued giving her that as well. I ended up giving her away to a rescue cause I didn't know how to deal with a diabetic cat and I'm not always home. Thankfully she's in a foster home getting good care. What bothers me also is that she told me her vet told her that Bella is 9-10 years old. Oh she also told me that she has some problems with her teeth which Barcs never told me. So I'm wondering who does the testing here and looks at these animals cause 4 is totally different than 9. I feel like I was lied to and wasted money. She was a sweet cat too so I'm kinda heartbroken I had given her up but I will never get a cat here knowing they don't give you proper information about the cats. read more

Don't go into BARCS expecting a fancy animal rescue experience. This is basically the city pound. It's very busy and if you pay attention, you'll notice the staff members are always running around working hard. If you set your expectations, you won't get disgruntled if you have to wait a bit. Just remember that finding your new best friend is worth a few hours of your time! And your adoption fee is significantly less than one of the fancy rescue places. I went in to see the dogs around 4:30 on a weekday. The place was packed, so I signed in and waited for one of the matchmakers to take me around and show me the dogs. He was very friendly and was able to tell me about the different personalities of most of the dogs and pointed out some of his favorites. As soon as I saw a sweet little beagle mix, Shasta, I had my heart set on him. He had just came in as a stray the same day so he had a three day waiting period before anyone could adopt him. The staff had me fill out an application so I could have the first option to adopt him when he became available. Then I went home to wait a few days before I could officially meet him. The whole process took a little over an hour. I returned three days later and fell in love with him all over again. He needed to be neutered before I brought him home so I made an appointment to come back for him. (I recommend paying the extra $10 to get a microchip for your pet in case he is ever lost.) I attended the adoption class which was fairly short but informative. This visit was about an hour. The day I went back to pick him up was just a week after my first visit to the shelter. I waited for a few minutes and got some information about taking care of him after his surgery. Then the staff brought him out to me and we were on our way! I brought him home exactly a week after I first saw him. This shelter does not test for heartworm so I recommend making a vet appointment as soon as you know when your pet is coming home. We went to the vet within a couple of days and, except for a little kennel cough, my guy is healthy and happy. Overall I consider this a great adoption experience and I'm so lucky to have found a great dog! read more

It's difficult to speak glowingly about a facility that looks like the doggy version of Shawshank, but the reality is that BARCS has an amazing selection of potential pets and they are very thorough with their immunizations and owner background checks. Above all else, these animals are just as deserving of a loving family as any others. If you're a native of Baltimore, it's worth knowing that the building is within walking distance to both Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium so you can rest assured that your pet's sports loyalties have not been tainted. As a bonus for reading my review, here's a list of animal names for you to use: CAT: Meow Ming, Cat Stevens, Omelette. DOG: Sarah Jessica Barker, Woof Blitzer, Morgan Fleaman. BIRD: Wayne, Susan, Oprah. read more

If you're reading this before visiting BARCS, this is not a glamorous adoption experience, but if you keep an open mind, you'll end up with a great rescue pet. Don't be afraid to ask questions (for example, there is a difference between "fully vaccinated" and "vaccinations are up to date"). I first visited BARCS over Labor Day weekend and went home with a kitten that day, whom we couldn't love more! In fact, I was a day late for the August adoption fee waiver, but the shelter waived the fee anyway. The staff and fosters are dedicated, friendly, and efficient with the tons of animals and people they deal with on a regular basis. BARCS, keep up the good work! read more

An animal shelter, especially one as large as BARCS, would have to do something pretty horrendous for me to give them anything less than 5 stars. BARCS is overcrowded and probably understaffed. Why? Because they do everything they possibly can to help an insane number of animals every single day, which unfortunately isn't the most glamorous or predictable job. They seem to accept any animal that's brought to them, in addition to the numerous strays they pick up. They even strongly encourage people to bring back any animal they adopt if it isn't working out, as if they have the room or resources to do so...because they'd rather be in way over their heads and doing their best to help than have a person abandon an animal, abuse it, etc. In response to a few of the other reviews: might you wait a while to be escorted through the shelter to view their available pets? Yes. Are there lots of pit bulls? Sadly for the pit bulls and all the ignorant people out there who either don't treat them right or are afraid to adopt them, yes. If you're serious about adopting a pet you should, without hesitation, visit BARCS. If you don't think it's worth the possibility of having to wait a little while to save the life of an animal who needs a home then you shouldn't be looking to adopt in the first place. Obviously the whole mission of BARCS is to help animals in need and to re-home them. How anyone could feel okay advising people not to adopt an animal from them because they had to wait a little while is beyond me. Everyone who works at BARCS has made a conscious choice to donate their time to a good cause, and while the overwhelming abundance of animals and work it takes to take care of them may not allow the entire to operation to run as quickly and efficiently as some impatient people may expect, should the animals suffer because of it?? I don't think so. So visit BARCS with an open mind, see the harsh reality of what an animal shelter is actually like and if you're a reasonable, responsible person who truly gets it then adopt a pet. There are way more animals out there than there are people adopting. In case you're wondering, my family adopted a 3 year old dog from BARCS and the process ran very smoothly. We received a 30-ish minute adoption counseling session from a girl (whose name I wish I could remember) who was extremely knowledgeable and helpful. We've had dogs in the past but have never adopted one...and I will never again get a dog from anywhere other than a shelter. BARCS neutered him for us, gave him his necessary vaccines and sent him home with medication for an ear issue he has. I was thoroughly impressed. However, without a shadow of a doubt, the best part of the entire experience is the satisfaction in knowing we brought home a dog who was abandoned and he will now get to live out the rest of his days in a peaceful, loving home regardless of whatever he may have endured in his past. read more

Although they are a rescue shelter and I respect the hard work that they do for animals, I am not a fan of how they handled our dog Niko. There bedside manner is awful. My Mother's dog was taken to this place and while running blood test they found that her dog was ill. Naturally, the recommended euthanasia due to his age and ailments. My concern is that would not allow my mother who has had the dog for 12 years to come to the office and at least say good bye. Also, you can't speak to an actual person by phone and they are not responsive by email. I'm utterly disappointed in how this was handled. My mother is 73 years old and this broke her heart, and they could have at least allowed her the opportunity to say good bye. Just pain cruel! read more

I'm of two minds here - on the one hand, we got our wonderful cat here and know many others who have great pets from BARCS. On the other hand, it's crowded, hectic and under-staffed, and even though the staff members/volunteers are friendly they are also often hurried and harried. I highly recommend getting your pet(s) here, but be prepared for a bit of a wait! read more

We adopted a puppy from BARCS 2 weekends ago and it has been a great experience. They microchipped and spayed her. Our adoption fee was only $10 for the microchip. All of the staffers that we met were very professional with us. 4 stars instead of 5 because the air conditioning was not working well that day and there were not enough portable fans set up to keep the waiting area at a reasonable temperature. It was about a 100 degree day and it was almost cooler outside than inside. read more

This place is absolutely incredible! I made the quick decision to add a four pawed addition to my house, and BARCS was the first place I felt comfortable looking. As a first time pet owner, they gave me extra advice and all of the volunteers were extremely knowledgeable. They take such good care of their animals and they truly care so much about getting every last one of them good homes. They take in so many animals a week, and are constantly taking the best care of them! Mila is the absolute best addition I could have added to my life!! She's the perfect kitten, and I'm so glad I chose BARCS!! read more

Crowded, disorganized, chaotic. Came here on a Saturday afternoon and it was absolutely packed. Line at front desk was out the door. The staff were unfriendly and had no idea which animals were adopted or not. The dogs were squeezed into tiny metal cages and seemed not well taken care of. The only thing this place has over SPCA is the variety of dogs, which included more than just pit bulls read more

I adopted a dog from BARCS and had to return the dog the next day. I was also with a close friend as he adopted two dogs through BARCS on two different occasions. I also strongly considered volunteering at BARCS and went through the volunteer approval process. Throughout all these processes, the staff was professional, efficient, and did the very best job with the funding their agency receives. BARCS processes, on average, 38 animals EVERY DAY. Yes, this agency might not be perfect. I have read some of the negative reviews on this site. I agree some of the folks that work here might lack people skills. However, after having four separate interactions with BARCS, it appears to me that Baltimore City Government might run better if all of it's agencies were public/private partnerships. read more

BARCS has the interest of the animals in their posession at heart and that's how it should be. They aren't there to cater to the humans- they are there to help and save strays, etc. I respect and support them tremendously for it! As someone who brings her pups here for their shots and has rescued one of their pitts- I love this place, love what they are doing, donate what I can, when I can, how ever I can, and urge other do to the same. I've been to quite a few shelters - this place holds a very high standard. read more

My husband and I got our wonderful dog at BARCS almost two years ago. We had to wait a little bit to meet the dogs, but it was well worth it. All of the volunteers are friendly and knowledgeable, and their love for the animals is clear to see. Considering just how many dogs and other animals they have, they do a wonderful job. When the time comes to bring another dog into our family, BARCS will be the first stop we make. Thank you BARCS! read more

I have been a volunteer at BARCS for over 2 years and personally found the article in the City Paper about the shelter one sided and disgusting to say the least. All one has to do is look at BARCS Facebook page to see all the wonderful changes that have happened since it opened. The shelter has growing pains, but in just a few years the adoption rate has gone up to around 65 percent, that means 65 percent more animals are alive in loving homes than before BARCS was put in place. It is sad that a handful of discontents would trash such a great shelter, granted it still needs improvement but doesn't the adoption rate alone show that it is growning, and in the right way. As far as the accident in the hallway is concerned, it was terrible, I helped clean it up, but, changes were made immediately to make sure it did not happen again, and it hasen't !!!!! It was never noted that the situation happened after the BARCS staff had left for the evening, it seems that the people trashing BARCS forgot to tell the City Paper that BARCS was closed at the time of the accident and no BARCS employee's or volunteers were involved. Please don't judge BARCS on the article in the City Paper, you will be hard pressed to find a group of employees and volunteers any more dedicated to helping and saving animals lives. Thanks for listening. Please excuse typos and spelling, not my area of expertise read more

My name is Margaret J. Denekas. About the middle of August, when you had the clean out the Shelter, I adopted an adorable kitten by the name of Sapphire, who was part of your foster program. I change Sapphire's name to Pakita. She gets along so well with my other kitty, Casey. Pakita is an absolutely wonderful little girl and angel! Thank you so very much for your services. read more

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Wonderful kind-hearted people. Admittedly sometimes a little tight on space, but I have had very positive experiences here with both the people and animals. Keep up the great works folks! read more

BARCS is an amazing organization. They've done so much to reduce the euthanasia rate at their shelter. They reach out to rescues, have a barn cat program, and have created a great adoption and foster program. Every organization has issues at times. With a limited budget and over 15,000 animals who come through their doors each year, BARCS deserves some slack. Im sure they always always always need more volunteers so if you're on here complaining, perhaps you should offer your assistance instead. Lives are depending on it. read more

Very nice place in the actual center, not so much behind the scene. My neighbor called BARCS on my dog because shes afraid of dogs!! so they came and took my dog. We tried to explain the situation to BARCS and they didn't give one shit. Its my little yorkie dog, what har can he really do? hes been in my family since I he was born and theyre still not being helpful or anything AND ARE REFUSING TO GIVE ME MY DOG BACK!! This place is a two faced place. The center itself is gross and not great for the dogs! read more