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BARCS Parties In Patterson Park And Gets On The City’s Agenda

Next to Patterson Park’s Victorian style pagoda, a Chihuahua dressed as a ballerina accepted a dog treat from a man dressed as a giant slice of Papa John’s Pizza. This isn’t a new Miley Cyrus music video, but a scene from last weekend’s 10th annual BARCStoberfest. Dozens of vendors, merchandise booths, and animal care facilities set up tables on the south side of Patterson Park for a sunny afternoon of fundraising and light hearted fun. Beside almost every vendor’s candy dish was a matching dish of treats for the four legged friends.

“I’ve already decided my foster dog can have as many treats as she wants today,” one owner said. “No use keeping her from celebrating!”

BARCStoberfest was exactly that: a celebration. On Saturday, BARCS (Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter) celebrated its volunteers, the organization’s tenure, their supporters and especially the animals.

BARCS, a non-profit, has been a part of Charm City since 2005. It replaced the Baltimore City Shelter, which was run through the Bureau of Animal Control, in an effort to take better care of the animals. The shelter was euthanizing 98 percent of the animals it took in. BARCS has managed to bring that down to 23 percent, according to 3rd District City Councilman Robert Curran. He attended the festival and judged the animal costume contest. “I never had a pet growing up” Curran said, “but as I’ve gotten older I’ve become passionate about advocacy for non-humans who can’t speak for themselves.”

According to its website, nearly half of BARCS’ budget comes from donations and revenue from fundraising events like BARCStoberfest, matching a $1.2 million grant from the city government. And it depends heavily on volunteers. In the past 10 years, volunteers have logged more than 70,000 hours.

Executive Director Jennifer Brause said the organization could not have improved the euthanasia rate or accomplished other improvements in the health and well-being of the animals without volunteers. And to drive home the point, she recognized a number of them who had worked consistently with BARCS over the last 10 years by first name from the stage; among them Diana Mitchell, Les Weinberg, Jean Sommers, Steven Gleason-Smuck, Marge Gleason, Terry Kleeman and Cheryl Ross.

Last month, Curran proposed an $18 million building addition to BARCS facilities to the City Council. The next day he proposed a billto shorten the time period owners have to reclaim vicious animals and fighting dogs picked up by Animal Control. Owners currently have 10 days to retrieve their pets; Curran's bill reduces it to five. The vicious animals take up shelter space, Curran said. Because space is limited, the shelter sometimes is forced to euthanize adoptable socialized animals to create more space.

BARCS will hold another fundraiser, Happy Yappy Hour, at The Boat House Canton, 2809 Boston Street, from 5 p.m. to 7p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30. Dogs in costume, as always, are encouraged.