Preserving, reuniting and making new families.
Immediate Donations to Animals in Need:
12,000 Homeless Animals
…Will enter BARCS this year. We have more than 300 animals in our shelter right this very minute—we are feeding, providing medical treatment and showing love to each of them. Being an open-admission shelter means that, no matter what, our doors (and hearts) are open to every animal that needs us.
Welcome to the Family!
When you adopt from BARCS, you save two lives by taking one animal home and opening the kennel for the next animal in need of a safe place to go.
Every life we save begins with you.
BARCS is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that operates the open-admission animal shelter and provides family-preservation programs for the Baltimore City community. We simply cannot run this organization without funding from private donors. Consider making a gift today to help us save lives, reunite families and be the answer for pet owners in crisis.
Volunteer Spotlight
March 2025: Carter Reilly
Carter Reilly is one of our super diverse volunteers–nothing is beyond him! He does emergency animal transports, lost dog walk-throughs to help families reunite with their pets, washes dirty dishes, cleans dog kennels, assists as our monthly low-cost vaccine clinic, helps run doggie playgroups with our Training Team, paints the hallways, and so much more. He has a soft spot for the biggest, most slobbery dogs and is always looking for ways we can improve our programs and safety here at BARCS. Thank you Carter for the many ways that you help animals in need!
Coming Up On Our Calendar
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Monthly Low-Cost Vaccine Clinic
First Saturday of the Month
Since 2005, BARCS has been hosting monthly low-cost vaccine and microchipping clinics to support underserved pet owners in Baltimore who have limited income and are not able to afford a regular relationship with a veterinarian.
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Baltimore KittyCon
Saturday, April 5
Paws Up, Baltimore—KittyCon is Here! Calling all feline fanatics! The first-ever KittyCon is coming to town, and it’s going to be purr-fectly pawsome! Join BARCS for a cat-tastic celebration packed with whisker-tingling fun, meow-nificent activities, and plenty of feline-inspired festivities.
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BARCS Block Party
Saturday, May 3
This family-friendly event includes a variety of activities including putt putt golf stationed around the Avenue, a cornhole tournament and live music on the lawn, adoptable animals from BARCS, and wristbands to receive food and drink specials from participating businesses.
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Pours for Paws
Saturday, May 31
The 5th annual Pours for Paws, presented by Jenner Law, will be held on Saturday, May 31 at The B&O Railroad Museum from 1 - 4 p.m. The event will include beer sipping, spirits and cocktail sampling, live music, vendor market, games, and a snuggle 'sesh with adoptable dogs from BARCS!
But wait, there’s more!
Thank you to our major partners who make saving lives possible:
