Baltimore animal shelter fostering dogs through this weekend's winter storm
The Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS) is letting people foster dogs through this weekend's winter storm, which will bring snow, ice, and frigid temperatures across the state.
The animal shelter has more than 100 dogs available to take to a temporary home. Those interested can pick up a dog between 11:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 23.
"It's a really fun opportunity to bring a dog home, have that pet at home for the snow, a snuggle buddy, a play buddy, without the long-term commitment," said Noelle Patterson, with BARCS.
Patterson said the foster home not only helps the dogs out, but it's a huge help to the shelter staff.
"It is a small kind of skeleton crew that is staying here, so to prepare the shelter ahead of time, we really need to move dogs out so it's fewer animals here that need to be cared for, fewer dogs that need to be walked, because we don't have the staff and volunteers here to care for them," Patterson said.
Snow day dogs
The shelter opened Thursday for short-term fosters, and just an hour after they unlocked their doors, they had a full waiting room.
"We just actually lost our dog on Christmas so we are definitely more than willing to do this right now," foster Erin Broderick said.
"These dogs have no choice that they're here, so we have an opportunity to take one home," foster Eric Burgess said. "We have a huge backyard that's all fenced in for them to play in the snow this weekend. It seems like a great idea with a 12-year-old kid."
BARCS will provide food, a leash, and a collar for the weekend.
BARCS officials are asking anyone participating in the emergency snow day foster program to keep the dogs until Tuesday when the storm passes.
You can sign up to foster by visiting this website.
"I'm sure there are going to be some that fosters decide to keep for a longer term foster ,which would be wonderful, or they fall in love and they want to adopt, which would be even better," Patterson said.
"We're going to hang out, watch the snow fall, go on some walks around our neighborhood," Broderick said.
