The VIP Urgent List is designed to save more lives. BARCS created this list to let our community know that our shelter is facing a chronic space crisis and, in recent years, have been faced more frequently with difficult euthanasia decisions. Our goal, just like yours, is to save as many lives as possible. The list aims to highlight dogs that need foster or adoption homes urgently, helping ensure that no animal falls through the cracks. While being on this list doesn’t mean a dog will automatically be euthanized, it does signal that they need extra attention from adopters and fosters to prevent their decline.

As Baltimore’s only open-admission shelter, BARCS is often the last hope for pets in need. Turning away animals would mean leaving sick or injured pets, and those that may pose a public safety risk, on the streets without the care they deserve. That’s simply not an option for us. We encourage anyone bringing in a healthy, friendly stray to first try to find the owner before bringing them to BARCS. To learn more about how to reunite stray pets with their owners, visit BARCS.org/found-pets.

The dogs on our VIP Urgent List are chosen because they need extra help finding the right home or foster placement, or because they’re struggling in the shelter environment. These decisions are very hard for our staff, who care for and love these dogs as if they were their own.

Not every dog will go through the urgent list before humane euthanasia if the situation is severe. The VIP Urgent List is for dogs that are struggling in the shelter but might improve in a foster or adoptive home. However, some dogs, like those with a history of dangerous behavior or severe medical issues without a solution, might need a different approach.

BARCS is a life-saving shelter, which means we treat each animal as an individual and work with our community to save as many lives as possible. We’ve been fortunate to have a community that supports us, allowing us to make great progress for animals in Baltimore City. However, no municipal, open-admission shelter can avoid euthanizing pets in cases of severe medical or behavioral issues. Before the pandemic, BARCS maintained a Live Release Rate (LRR) of 90% or higher and didn’t need to euthanize for space. But now, we’re facing a nationwide crisis with more animals coming in than ever before. In 2023, our LRR dropped to 85% due to the overwhelming number of intakes. We want to be honest with our community—animals are at high risk every day, and we need your help to save them. BARCS is aiming to get our LRR back into the 90s, but we can’t do it without your support.

We already don’t have enough staff or funds to handle the number of animals coming into our shelter. We’re underfunded by $3 million. Animal welfare work presents unique challenges, including safety concerns and the mental health of our staff. Taking care of the animals requires a well-trained team working together to provide daily care, medical treatment, and more. Right now, our small team is stretched too thin. We’re caring for over 250 animals daily, managing surgeries, medical treatments, adoptions, foster programs and more.

Fostering is how we “shelter beyond our walls.” It is the answer to our chronic lack of space, as each new foster home is like adding a new kennel to our shelter. And, foster homes are better than shelter kennels because we learn what the dog is like in a home environment, something that we can’t mimic in the shelter.

We work with hundreds of shelters and rescues every day and transfer several pets a week to other organizations. Unfortunately, shelters and rescues across the country are facing the same space crisis we are, so they can only take in a limited number of pets. This is a nationwide problem, and shelters like ours are sending out pleas for help daily. If you have a connection with a rescue or shelter, please reach out to us—we’d love to expand our network.

The best way to help is to foster or adopt one of the dogs on the list! Here are your options:

• Foster Care: You take care of the dog in your home and help market them for adoption.

• Adoption: You adopt the dog and give them a permanent home. All dogs on the Urgent List are free to adopt and come spayed/neutered, microchipped, and up-to-date on vaccines.

• Rescue Organizations: Email rescue@barcs.org to inquire about pulling a dog from our urgent list.