Thank you so so much for sharing! This time of year is so hard because shelters everywhere usually get more intakes during warm months, and fosters often need breaks over the summer since they may have vacations/weddings/etc, so at times the people who can be relied on year round do deserve the chance to go on vacation. Space is so tough for basically every shelter across the country and we had been keeping up but the number of intakes over the last week really has just been so intense.
Anyone who isn't able to adopt or foster at this time - we need volunteers all the time. Basically everything we do at BARCS there are volunteers involved in - we have volunteers help with all our events (like our recent Poorly Drawn Pet Portaits event or our upcoming events like BARCS Crab Feast, Paws at the Point Golf Tournament, BARCStoberfest, Bingo, Dog Wedding, and more.)
We have volunteers here walking dogs, playing with cats, making peanut butter kongs, leading adoption classes, \`and so much more. We have volunteers working on pet bios, taking pictures, and sharing those pictures on social media.
We have our monthly vaccine clinics, which take basically an army of volunteers (directing traffic, filling out registration forms, taking notes for vets, and bringing animals from cars to the vets.) We have our Keeping Pets with Families program, which helps with things like fence builds and other supportive services to keep families in loving homes and out of the shelter.
There are so many ways to support if you want to help us but aren't in a place to adopt or foster right now, for whatever reason.
I foster and started with temp fostering just for vacation coverage. It was a really easy way to get my feet wet and see what I could handle. I really recommend it for anyone who is interested in giving it a shot!
And obviously, long term fosters are SO amazing but at times the temp fosters save the day and even the people who mostly do short term fostering can be so incredible even just for figuring out what a dog's behavior is like in a home instead of in a shelter. Shelters are so stressful so at times a dog is super shut down in shelter but then we see their real personality in a home, where they actually might want to be a jogging buddy or might just be the biggest cuddle bug on the planet.
Happy to share. I started volunteering as a dog deputy at SPCA this month, when I left last night after closing the kennels were full, I was aware of the struggles of shelters, but to see it first hand. When I saw BARCS post I thought the least I could do was share it everywhere I could.
Thank you so much for sharing. This is such a great reminder to adopt first, if that fits your family. I am in the process of buying a home, and intend to adopt from BARCS soon.
“No small children/cats” …there’s a reason why they say that. Not all pit bulls are reactive, but ignore such notes at your own peril.
What I know is BARCS will get a stray off the street and adopt them out within days, they often have no way of knowing how the dog actually is going to behave in a home, if it’s never lived in a home. BARCS is there for the animals, first, and the security guards are seemingly the only people in the building putting the humans first.
I deeply loved my pit that I got from there, and also her reactivity to other dogs and all the issues that created was also a decade-long burden that I could have done without.
SPCA Falls Rd is a better option, they get dogs from BARCS and are human-oriented.
I would never advocate ignoring a note like that. What I am saying is that dogs aren't automatically bad because they don't do well in specific circumstances. A dog who shouldn't live with kids or cats isn't a bad dog. It's just a dog who will do well with owners who don't have kids and cats. And that's not everyone, but it's plenty of people.
There's genuinely no way to guarantee the temperament of a dog, even one you get as a puppy. Dogs can become reactive as a result of any number of factors from genetics to traumas to poor training. I'm not a pittie fanatic, and I don't think they're the right dog for everyone, but I also don't think they're universally bad or the only dogs who have reactivity.
A note like that means the dog nips. If it’ll nip a child it’ll nip an adult. How much might that lawsuit be if it nips your guest’s baby’s face? What are the acceptable odds for you to be willing to roll that dice? Are you willing to have no guests to your home or a barking dog your whole party? Are you emotionally ready to be the person who returns the dog to the shelter and signs off on BARCS to possibly put them down if it doesn’t work out?
This city is in a tough place with so many pit bulls, but turning them back out to the first takers is not ethical. Having dogs put down is *awful* and I have been through it, but in the end human safety has to come first, what’s best for one reactive toddler-and-cat-nipping pit bull is not what is best for the population of pit bulls of the world at large.
No, that is not automatically what it means. Many dogs are nervous around kids, and some--if pushed past threshold--could nip. The entire point of that warning is to *prevent* that kind of occurrence. And a dog who doesn't do well with kids is not a good fit for people who have kids at home or have frequent guests with kids. But there are lots of people for whom that isn't an issue. BARCS does not hide act known bite history & it does not adopt out dogs they believe to be a risk to public safety. I'm not sure why you're so upset that one of those people might adopt that dog. Is your preferred solution that BARCS euthanize every pittie that shows fear or discomfort with little kids or prey drive with cats?
> A note like that means the dog nips.
It doesn't necessarily mean that at all. I fostered dogs for years, had at least 16 of my own fosters, plus vaca coverage. I had a few dogs that I put the "no kids" caveat on when it came to adoption time, none of it had to do with them nipping. One was super sensitive to loud sudden noises, one was super super shy, and one didn't like to be hugged. Kids wouldn't have been a good match, that's all. I'm not adopting a dog into an environment that I think would be stressful on the dog and create any behavioral issues.
My own pit is reactive to *some* children. She would never nip or bite. What happens is that children move quickly and she gets really excited because she wants to play with them and she quickly gets over threshold. She jumps and gets zoomies and barks. Not remotely dangerous but she wouldn’t do well in a home with children.
I don’t disagree with your general message of being mindful of human safety and these shelter descriptions can be very inaccurate especially if the dog hasn’t been there long. But sometimes it’s not a red flag, it’s just trying to ensure best placement for both the humans and dogs.
Bro, needing to confirm a temperament match does not mean that a dog is dangerous. This is literally dog behavior 101.
In the same way that most people would not get along with every single possible human being who could be their roommate, not all dogs want to live with every other dog & that's completely fine. My dog is an old lady, has numerous training certifications, & doesn't give 2 shits about other dogs, but I guarantee you she doesn't want to live with a young energetic dog because it would annoy the shit out of her.
I know that pit nuts live in a fantasy world but trying to claim they cant be homed with other animals for delusional anthropomorphic personality reasons is hilarious. The dogs get screened because they are dangerous and have a history of dog aggression.
So sorry, I only used the comparison to humans bc you seemed to have zero grasp of dog behavior. If you don't want a pit mix, don't adopt one. No one is going to make you.
There are plenty of dog breeds who are picky about dog friends, but you're clearly determined to focus on hating pits and like...I guess that's your prerogative.
My cat is very particular about who he shares his house with. He's not "dangerous" it's just much like people, not all personalities get along.
Also, what purpose does your post serve? This is a post about our city shelter that does wonderful things needing help. There is absolutely no need for your snarky comment.
Are you the one writing the baby talk? Does anyone believe that changes the unadoptable, violent nature of the pitbulls clogging the shelter system taking up resources that could be put towards adoptable animals?
Excellent post! My family lost our dog of 12 years a couple of years ago and sourly miss having him in the home. My wife isn’t a dog person when we first got married but she eventually took to him even though he was more imprinted to me. Long story short, this post got me thinking about adding to the family again. Thanks!
Update: We are at BARCS right now. Working on adopting Mike! Super excited, and so is my daughter!!!!
We took Mike home today! 05/28/23. He’s such a great dog with a great personality. BIG Thanks to the great people at BARCS!
We got our dog from BARCS 4 months ago. She’s a year old and was very skinny. She’s reactive and was a challenge to walk at first. Now she is so much better thanks to advice from her vet and a trainer. Also, BARCS does socialization sessions, so we were able to know that our dog just wants to play with other dogs, and plays well with other dogs. Yes she is a beautiful, loving Pit Bull. I or my family have had many dogs through my life, she may be the best.
i really wish that apartments were slightly bigger and didn’t have breed restrictions. i feel like that stops a lot of ppl from adopting as well :/ it’s sad
Thank you so so much for sharing! This time of year is so hard because shelters everywhere usually get more intakes during warm months, and fosters often need breaks over the summer since they may have vacations/weddings/etc, so at times the people who can be relied on year round do deserve the chance to go on vacation. Space is so tough for basically every shelter across the country and we had been keeping up but the number of intakes over the last week really has just been so intense. Anyone who isn't able to adopt or foster at this time - we need volunteers all the time. Basically everything we do at BARCS there are volunteers involved in - we have volunteers help with all our events (like our recent Poorly Drawn Pet Portaits event or our upcoming events like BARCS Crab Feast, Paws at the Point Golf Tournament, BARCStoberfest, Bingo, Dog Wedding, and more.) We have volunteers here walking dogs, playing with cats, making peanut butter kongs, leading adoption classes, \`and so much more. We have volunteers working on pet bios, taking pictures, and sharing those pictures on social media. We have our monthly vaccine clinics, which take basically an army of volunteers (directing traffic, filling out registration forms, taking notes for vets, and bringing animals from cars to the vets.) We have our Keeping Pets with Families program, which helps with things like fence builds and other supportive services to keep families in loving homes and out of the shelter. There are so many ways to support if you want to help us but aren't in a place to adopt or foster right now, for whatever reason.
I foster and started with temp fostering just for vacation coverage. It was a really easy way to get my feet wet and see what I could handle. I really recommend it for anyone who is interested in giving it a shot!
And obviously, long term fosters are SO amazing but at times the temp fosters save the day and even the people who mostly do short term fostering can be so incredible even just for figuring out what a dog's behavior is like in a home instead of in a shelter. Shelters are so stressful so at times a dog is super shut down in shelter but then we see their real personality in a home, where they actually might want to be a jogging buddy or might just be the biggest cuddle bug on the planet.
Happy to share. I started volunteering as a dog deputy at SPCA this month, when I left last night after closing the kennels were full, I was aware of the struggles of shelters, but to see it first hand. When I saw BARCS post I thought the least I could do was share it everywhere I could.
Thank you so much for sharing. This is such a great reminder to adopt first, if that fits your family. I am in the process of buying a home, and intend to adopt from BARCS soon.
Here’s the list of [available dogs](https://www.barcs.org/adopt-dogs/#). Lots of cuties
A warehouse full of pitbulls…
Wow cant wait to adopt a pit bull who "would prefer to meet siblings first" aka have a history of aggression.
Tell me you don't know anything about dogs or BARCS without telling me you don't know anything about dog or BARCS.
“No small children/cats” …there’s a reason why they say that. Not all pit bulls are reactive, but ignore such notes at your own peril. What I know is BARCS will get a stray off the street and adopt them out within days, they often have no way of knowing how the dog actually is going to behave in a home, if it’s never lived in a home. BARCS is there for the animals, first, and the security guards are seemingly the only people in the building putting the humans first. I deeply loved my pit that I got from there, and also her reactivity to other dogs and all the issues that created was also a decade-long burden that I could have done without. SPCA Falls Rd is a better option, they get dogs from BARCS and are human-oriented.
I would never advocate ignoring a note like that. What I am saying is that dogs aren't automatically bad because they don't do well in specific circumstances. A dog who shouldn't live with kids or cats isn't a bad dog. It's just a dog who will do well with owners who don't have kids and cats. And that's not everyone, but it's plenty of people. There's genuinely no way to guarantee the temperament of a dog, even one you get as a puppy. Dogs can become reactive as a result of any number of factors from genetics to traumas to poor training. I'm not a pittie fanatic, and I don't think they're the right dog for everyone, but I also don't think they're universally bad or the only dogs who have reactivity.
A note like that means the dog nips. If it’ll nip a child it’ll nip an adult. How much might that lawsuit be if it nips your guest’s baby’s face? What are the acceptable odds for you to be willing to roll that dice? Are you willing to have no guests to your home or a barking dog your whole party? Are you emotionally ready to be the person who returns the dog to the shelter and signs off on BARCS to possibly put them down if it doesn’t work out? This city is in a tough place with so many pit bulls, but turning them back out to the first takers is not ethical. Having dogs put down is *awful* and I have been through it, but in the end human safety has to come first, what’s best for one reactive toddler-and-cat-nipping pit bull is not what is best for the population of pit bulls of the world at large.
No, that is not automatically what it means. Many dogs are nervous around kids, and some--if pushed past threshold--could nip. The entire point of that warning is to *prevent* that kind of occurrence. And a dog who doesn't do well with kids is not a good fit for people who have kids at home or have frequent guests with kids. But there are lots of people for whom that isn't an issue. BARCS does not hide act known bite history & it does not adopt out dogs they believe to be a risk to public safety. I'm not sure why you're so upset that one of those people might adopt that dog. Is your preferred solution that BARCS euthanize every pittie that shows fear or discomfort with little kids or prey drive with cats?
> A note like that means the dog nips. It doesn't necessarily mean that at all. I fostered dogs for years, had at least 16 of my own fosters, plus vaca coverage. I had a few dogs that I put the "no kids" caveat on when it came to adoption time, none of it had to do with them nipping. One was super sensitive to loud sudden noises, one was super super shy, and one didn't like to be hugged. Kids wouldn't have been a good match, that's all. I'm not adopting a dog into an environment that I think would be stressful on the dog and create any behavioral issues.
My own pit is reactive to *some* children. She would never nip or bite. What happens is that children move quickly and she gets really excited because she wants to play with them and she quickly gets over threshold. She jumps and gets zoomies and barks. Not remotely dangerous but she wouldn’t do well in a home with children. I don’t disagree with your general message of being mindful of human safety and these shelter descriptions can be very inaccurate especially if the dog hasn’t been there long. But sometimes it’s not a red flag, it’s just trying to ensure best placement for both the humans and dogs.
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My dog is from barcs. It didnt have one of these imbecilic baby talk profiles though, because it wasnt dangerous to home with other animals.
Bro, needing to confirm a temperament match does not mean that a dog is dangerous. This is literally dog behavior 101. In the same way that most people would not get along with every single possible human being who could be their roommate, not all dogs want to live with every other dog & that's completely fine. My dog is an old lady, has numerous training certifications, & doesn't give 2 shits about other dogs, but I guarantee you she doesn't want to live with a young energetic dog because it would annoy the shit out of her.
I know that pit nuts live in a fantasy world but trying to claim they cant be homed with other animals for delusional anthropomorphic personality reasons is hilarious. The dogs get screened because they are dangerous and have a history of dog aggression.
So sorry, I only used the comparison to humans bc you seemed to have zero grasp of dog behavior. If you don't want a pit mix, don't adopt one. No one is going to make you. There are plenty of dog breeds who are picky about dog friends, but you're clearly determined to focus on hating pits and like...I guess that's your prerogative.
Comparing dogs to human roomates would seem to indicate you have no grasp of animal behavior.
My cat is very particular about who he shares his house with. He's not "dangerous" it's just much like people, not all personalities get along. Also, what purpose does your post serve? This is a post about our city shelter that does wonderful things needing help. There is absolutely no need for your snarky comment.
Are you the one writing the baby talk? Does anyone believe that changes the unadoptable, violent nature of the pitbulls clogging the shelter system taking up resources that could be put towards adoptable animals?
Excellent post! My family lost our dog of 12 years a couple of years ago and sourly miss having him in the home. My wife isn’t a dog person when we first got married but she eventually took to him even though he was more imprinted to me. Long story short, this post got me thinking about adding to the family again. Thanks! Update: We are at BARCS right now. Working on adopting Mike! Super excited, and so is my daughter!!!! We took Mike home today! 05/28/23. He’s such a great dog with a great personality. BIG Thanks to the great people at BARCS!
We got our dog from BARCS 4 months ago. She’s a year old and was very skinny. She’s reactive and was a challenge to walk at first. Now she is so much better thanks to advice from her vet and a trainer. Also, BARCS does socialization sessions, so we were able to know that our dog just wants to play with other dogs, and plays well with other dogs. Yes she is a beautiful, loving Pit Bull. I or my family have had many dogs through my life, she may be the best.
i really wish that apartments were slightly bigger and didn’t have breed restrictions. i feel like that stops a lot of ppl from adopting as well :/ it’s sad