TIMONIUM, Md. — A raid on an unlicensed puppy mill brought 83 dogs to the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter in a single day last month and BARCS took in 300 animals that week alone.
What’s billed as the Mega Summer Adopt-a-thon at the Timonium Fairgrounds finds BARCS ready to place pets in new homes at no charge.
“We’re going to have hundreds of animals here for adoption—-dogs, cats, puppies, kittens, even some littles like guinea pigs and rabbits and adoption fees are waived for every single animal that will be here,” said BARCS Assistant Director of Communications Noelle Patterson.
The Baltimore shelter and its fosters are currently caring for more than 200 dogs and over a hundred cats, and it’s not just BARCS.
Right now, throughout the state and the country for that matter, animal shelters are seeing their numbers skyrocket.
The Baltimore Humane Society, Baltimore County Animal Services and the Maryland SPCA are partnering with BARCS at the event to bring their numbers down.
“The biggest challenge we see in our community is just not having enough resources, whether it’s financial, veterinary resources,” said Maryland SPCA’s Bash Destefano, “People are just always at wits end. They’re coming in just devastated to let go of a pet.”
The Adopt-a-thon runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday in the 4-H Home Arts Building at the fairgrounds, and those interested in adopting a pet for free must be at least 18 years of age and need to bring a photo and proof of their current address.
