Group + Workplace Volunteering

Your group loves animals. We love animals. Let’s get together and make a difference! BARCS (Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter) offers a variety of donation-based experiences for animal-loving groups. Book your group experience today and make it possible for us to rescue, heal and find homes for over 12,000 animals each year. All groups must first fill out this Group Volunteer Application. We receive a very high volume of requests, so we appreciate your patience while we review your request. (This may take a week or more depending on the time of year.)

First, we ask that you read the following three group volunteering options and select the one that best fits your group's objectives:

IN-SHELTER VOLUNTEERING

**The majority of our in-shelter volunteer opportunities are designed for groups of 15 people or less, where all volunteers are adults (18+ years old).** We’re dedicated to offering an enriching stay while animals are in our care. As a team, you may clean kennels, organize inventory, walk dogs, socialize cats, assemble and deliver enrichment, help with trail maintenance and more! Your experience will include a private tour of BARCS, your selected hands-on volunteer activity and a group photo to commemorate your experience. 

Ahead of your volunteer day at the shelter, we ask that all groups partner with BARCS through a donation of $500 or more, or one of the other impactful contributions listed on this Group Volunteer Application. Your support is a direct investment in BARCS' lifesaving work. This amount covers the supplies and staff time needed to coordinate and manage corporate service groups.

IN-OFFICE OR VIRTUAL DAY OF SERVICE

Get together at your workplace, school or gathering place with your coworkers, friends, or family. As a group, you’ll complete activities that benefit the animals in our shelter. Your group will be responsible for purchasing or gathering all of the ingredients and supplies needed for your selected recipes. This group experience includes:

• A visit from a BARCS representative with a dog + a brief oral presentation of our mission
• OR a virtual welcome from a BARCS team member + a digital tour of the shelter
• 1-3 activities of your choice from our Enrichment Menu
• Scheduled time to deliver your completed enrichment items, with group photo upon delivery

Ahead of your volunteer day, we ask that all groups partner with BARCS through a donation of $500 or more, or one of the other impactful contributions listed on this Group Volunteer Application. Your support is a direct investment in BARCS' lifesaving work. This amount covers staff time needed to coordinate and manage corporate service groups.

PET SUPPLY DRIVE

With over 12,000 animals entering the care of the BARCS each year, our animals are always in need of treats, toys, and bedding to make their experience as enriching and comfortable as possible. This group experience is a supply drive that your organization can organize to collect supplies to send our animals some love! Once your supply drive is complete, we’ll schedule a time for you to come out and deliver your haul and take a group photo at our facility. Our wish list is updated in real-time so the supplies listed are exactly what we need.

IN-SHELTER EXPERIENCE

Please carefully read the following information about in-shelter group volunteer opportunities. A majority of our in-shelter volunteering is designed for groups of 15 or fewer. Accepted applications will be sent a confirmation and Calendly link for scheduling in a separate email.

We ask that you please read this section in full. In doing so, if you find that in-shelter volunteering does not match your group's objectives, please use the back button at the bottom of this page to select another option!

What to Expect:

Location:

2490 Giles Road, Baltimore, Maryland 21225

Qualifications:

• Group members should be 18+ years old. Children between 14-17 years of age may accompany an adult (one adult per child) on a group volunteer day but must adhere to the following restrictions:
  • 16-17 years old: No dog handling or walking.
  • 14-15 years old: No dog handling and must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian at all times while at the shelter. Can socialize cats or make edible enrichment.
  • 13 years old and younger: Cannot participate in standard group volunteering activities, please check out http://www.barcs.org/kids for more information on youth volunteer activities.
• All volunteers must have their own health insurance in order to volunteer on site; no exceptions.  You do not need to bring your insurance card, however, in signing our waiver, you are stating that you are insured.

Training Provided:

We are very passionate about safety at BARCS! We are an open-admission shelter, meaning that we accept all animals from Baltimore City and do not turn down intakes based on age, breed, health, size or reported behavior. Dog walking volunteers should be prepared to walk large, strong, exuberant dogs. Everyone will be paired up to make it more manageable!

We will start you off with training on our policies as well as a briefing on how to be safe, and members of our team will be available to your group throughout your time at the shelter to help you and answer any questions that may come up!

Group Sizes:

Dog Walking: We can accommodate a maximum of twelve volunteers at once for dog walking. Additional volunteers (up to four) are permitted if interested in socializing cats.

Cat Socializing: Up to Four People

Dog Enrichment Preparation and Distribution: Up to Five People

Larger groups can be accommodated on a limited basis for the following activities:

• Cleaning kennel rooms in groups (teams of 2-6 people will be assigned a room to deep clean and organize – 4 to 20 volunteers, limited scheduling.
• Trail maintenance, yard work, and play yard cleaning – 4 to 20 volunteers, limited scheduling.
• Vaccine Clinic - maximum of 20 Volunteers, only occurs on the first Saturday of every month!

Dress Code:

Dress for the elements – we suggest layers!  BARCS operates rain or shine so we do suggest bringing anything you need for the weather that day including rain coats, ponchos, etc.  Remember, dogs still need to go out even when it rains!
All volunteers must wear long pants (no shorts!) with close-toed shoes appropriate for being around animals.  Non-slip shoes or work boots are preferred, but tennis shoes are also acceptable.

Tell us about your group!

Please provide the following contact information. Additionally, we'd love to know a little bit more about you, your love for animals and other unique skills and talents that you have!

Impactful Partnerships

We are so grateful that your company/organization has an interest in supporting BARCS' mission. Ahead of your volunteer day, we ask that all groups partner with BARCS through a donation of $500 or more, or one of the other impactful contribution options below. Your support is a direct investment in BARCS' lifesaving work. This amount covers the supplies and staff time needed to coordinate and manage corporate service groups.

Date Preference

Scheduling for in-office visits, virtual visits/tours, and wish list drive drop-off visits is always dependent on BARCS' current needs and staffing availability. We do our best to accommodate all of the incredible teams and groups who are excited to support our mission, but cannot guarantee the availability of every possible date. We appreciate your understanding!

If your group is flexible to BARCS' availability, you may leave this section blank.

Contact Person's Information

Please provide the following contact information. Additionally, we'd love to know a little bit more about you, your love for animals and other unique skills and talents that you have!