It’s no secret that winter is a tough time for most animal shelters. The freezing cold grows to be too much for outdoor dogs and cats, who are taken to the shelter for their safety. Holiday gifted animals become too much, and end up nuisances unwanted by their families. With snowy, icy roads, volunteers stop coming in.
Even the best shelter teams or most well-funded rescues struggle with the cold months. Now, a Baltimore animal shelter is desperate for new adopters.
Shelter overrun with dogs
The BARCS Animal Shelter has temporarily gotten rid of any adoption fees for dogs. The South Baltimore shelter entirely ran out of room for new intakes. Many of their available dogs are bully breeds, which notoriously struggle to find homes. Now, the desperate shelter staff is asking for adopters to please step up. The organization said it has already taken in more than 200 dogs in January.
The shelter says it also urgently needs foster families. There are a variety of animals needing fosters. Primarily, they are dogs who might be too scared at the shelter. They could also be dogs who are sick or injured and need to recover, or owned animals in emergency boarding.
If you are in the area and unable to adopt, consider fostering. There is no charge to do so, as the shelter will provide needed supplies. All you need to do is open your heart and home.
Becoming a pet foster parent
Stepping up to foster a dog can seem daunting. But, it’s actually easier than ever. Most shelters and rescues provide all needed materials. That means you won’t need to pay for food, toys, or other necessities. Additionally, all vet care should already be completed.
For some, it can still be too big of a time commitment. If you want to help, but fostering isn’t up your alley, consider transport driving. For rescues, this can involve picking up dogs from shelters, or bringing them from the rescue to a foster home. This process usually takes 2-6 hours of your time, and you can choose to do it on your schedule. However, it can still make all the difference for the dogs involved.
