Rocque Solid Dog

06/06/2022

**OUT OF SPACE** BARCS is in a desperate situation: we are critically low on space. We are starting our day today, Monday 6/6, with only a handful of open kennels and an alert that Baltimore City Animal Control is bringing in a hoarding case later today.

As an open-admission shelter, we take in every animal that comes to us in need. Our facility only has so many cages, and a large influx of stray and surrendered animals quickly creates an urgent situation. We need as many animals to leave with positive outcomes as we are taking in, otherwise, animals could be at risk.

We have hundreds of healthy, happy adoptable dogs and cats that need homes.

In addition, we urgently need foster families for animals who are not ready for adoption or are otherwise unavailable. These include underage animals who are not old enough to be adopted, sick or injured animals who need some time to recover, or owned animals at our facility for emergency boarding due to a family crisis. Please apply to foster on our website or by emailing [email protected] or [email protected]. You do NOT need to have a specific type of home or family to foster. Even a weekend long commitment to foster can make a major difference.

If you’re with a rescue organization, please consider pulling an animal from our shelter into your rescue. To see which animals are eligible for rescue, email [email protected].

Adoption fees are waived at our 2490 Giles Road shelter now through Sunday (6/12). We are open from 2-6 p.m. on weekdays and from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on weekends. We encourage adopters to come sooner than the weekend if they are able. More animals will arrive at our facility each day and we currently do not have space to shelter them.

Please help us save the lives of the animals in our shelter.

If you cannot adopt or foster, please, please, please share this post in hopes that it will reach someone who can. These animals deserve a good outcome, but we can't do it without our community’s help… YOUR help.

Thank you.

01/07/2021

Congrats to Fancy and Susie Zeiner German Shepherd breeder EZ Brook Kennel on earning their AKC Novice Trick title!
Well done! 🏅🐾

12/21/2020

It has been 8 years since the school shooting in Sandy Hook/Newtown, Connecticut. Dec 14 is my birthday, so I think about it every year. It was an unimaginable tragedy. I think about the kids, the teachers, their families, the town. But, this post is about a particular dog featured here. These dogs helped. My Rocky, helped. That also means he’s now 8 years older than he was then. We don’t know his exact birthday, but he’s 10 now. He was around 1 when he came to me as a hyper spaz monkey foster that had already had 3 chances and been returned. It didn’t take us long to realize that we were meant to be together forever. Six months later he was a therapy dog, and 6 months after that we had one of the longest and most emotional therapy dog visits ever. He wasn’t Rocky Rocque yet, but he was such a rockstar! His enthusiasm never wavered. His tail never stopped wagging. He comforted so many. I’ll forever be proud of him for what he did there. It was only a week after, and the entire town was grieving so hard. There was so much emotion, but he just kept going on with his infectious enthusiasm and love. On the bus ride home, everyone was sleeping but Rocky refused to admit he was tired while falling asleep sitting up.
There’s things you can teach therapy dogs, but there’s also essential innate qualities too. Rocky has always been sensitive in his own way. It makes some things harder for him, but also makes him an exceptional therapy dog and champion cuddler. He LOVES people. He’s never met someone who wasn’t his new best friend. Young, old, sick, well, happy, sad...he just wants to be loved and give love. And butt scratches, please and thank you.
It’s so hard to watch our dogs get older. I’ve done it so many times. He’s 10. I always wonder how that happened so fast. He has degenerative joint disease everywhere. He has Addison’s disease. He takes medication twice a day. He takes supplements. I give him an injection every 3 weeks for his joints. But, don’t tell him he’s old and gimpy because he’ll call you a liar and run around like a young pup when he should be taking it easy. Each dog we share our lives with is unique and special and has their own story. Rocky doesn’t have a lot of fancy titles. And that’s ok. He’s not considered a working dog like my SAR dogs. And that’s ok. Doing dog sports wasn’t his thing, and that’s ok. In fact, he never had to do anything special, to BE special. He’s always been special just being himself.
I worry...especially with his joints and managing his pain. But, he’s tough.
Just an early morning video memory that popped up and sappy reflections on my wonderful ole boy ❤️🐾

12/17/2020

Big CONGRATS to Gillispie and Trooper on earning their new AKC Titles! Virtual Home Manners and Trick Dog Novice!! Well done! Trooper is 5 months old.
(Urban Trooper vom Haus Morrisson Haus Morrisson German Shepherds Amy Haus Morrisson)

These are online titles through the American Kennel Club. These titles have allowed people to continue to train their dogs and work toward goals, even during Covid. AKC CGC Evaluators can evaluate by video submission.
You can message us for more information, as a CGC Evaluator we are happy to help you earn these FUN titles with your dogs!
https://www.akc.org/

Way to go, Trooper!

07/13/2020

The Penn Vet Working Dog Center is looking for individuals in the United States tested for COVID19 SAR-CoV2 by nasal swab or sputum test to assist in our research study to determine if dogs can detect COVID19.
We are seeking individuals over 18 years of age who either will be tested or have been tested and have received results (positive or negative) in the past 24 hours.
Eligible participants will be asked to complete a brief health survey, then eligible participants will be sent a cotton T-shirt to be worn one night while sleeping. The T-shirt will be packaged and shipped back to the Penn Vet Working Dog Center to be used in training and testing the dogs.
This study may help us identify a unique odor associated with COVID19 infection and guide novel screening methods.
Please complete the following survey to determine if you are eligible to participate https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/K9Tshirt
For questions please contact:

Dr. Cynthia Otto
Penn Vet Working Dog Center
3401 Grays Ferry Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19146

[email protected]
or
215-898-3390

06/04/2020

Congrats Baron and Susie Zeiner of German Shepherd breeder EZ Brook Kennel on earning the AKC Novice Trick Title! During this pandemic the AKC is allowing video submissions of Trick Titles. For more info visit akc.org/sports/trick-dog
Congrats Baron and Susie! It was my pleasure to be your evaluator! 🎉🐾

05/27/2020

2. Lou
4. Rocky
6/7. Nala

05/26/2020

Displacement licking is a real thing...

05/26/2020

Finally, someone using their power for good.

05/23/2020

Warming temperatures mean that snakes are going to be out and about. No need to be afraid, just be aware and learn how to identify them. Snakes are an important part of our ecosystem and all snakes in Maryland are protected.

There are 27 species and subspecies of snakes in Maryland. Only two are venomous - the timber rattlesnake and the copperhead.

We have a great photo guide to help you identify the snakes you may see while you're out exploring. Check it out!

https://dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Documents/Common-Snakes-of-Maryland-Photo-Guide.pdf

Photo of garter snake by Kerry Wixted.

05/22/2020

❤️

05/22/2020

😍😘

Steve's new Lockdown diet is going exceptionally well.
Steve is trying his best.

05/12/2020

These are all good things to do with new puppies, even during regular times, because parvo and other contagious canine diseases are always a concern in addition to the current pandemic.
Remember that keeping good feelings about novel things is achieved through classical conditioning - new thing happens then food (or other reinforcement like a favorite toy or even attention that they enjoy) creates a positive association with that novel thing. Puppies are like little sponges when very young, and you have the opportunity to create good feelings about so much of the world, before they get scared or have bad experiences. Take advantage of that! It makes a huge difference when done well and conscientiously. Puppies are so much fun to watch learn and grow. Give them a great start in life, even during this difficult time. What we don’t want is isolated puppies used to only your family and immediate surroundings. And puppies used to you being home 24/7. These dogs can live 15 years, and we hope they do! But, remember that they will eventually meet other people, and you will eventually go back to work. It shouldn’t be an overnight change for them, they won’t understand that. Take the time now to safely introduce them to things, so all your lives will be much easier! ❤️
Stay safe and happy training 🐾

There are so many ways we can socialize puppies while sheltering at home. These are some suggestions! Please honor what feels safe for you with regard to visiting parks and other public areas.

05/10/2020

To all the mothers who love and care for beings with 2 legs and 4 (and tripods too, or no legs like snakes, or...) ❤️
Devotion and love define a mother more than having given birth to the being they love.

05/09/2020

Happy Saturday everyone! Safety first!

05/08/2020

🥰😍😍🥰🦦

05/07/2020

😆

05/06/2020

Rub a dub, bear in a tub 😍😍😍

05/05/2020

05/05/2020

Thank your vet, techs, and receptionists...things are stressful for all right now. Everyone is just trying to stay healthy to be able to keep taking care of all. I know it’s upsetting and disappointing to not be able to go into vet hospitals right now. I’ve had to do it with Rocky recently, for an appointment and for minor surgery (thank you Dr. Z and Ruxton Animal Hospital). And Nala will go for exam and boosters alone next week. It’s harder when we have pets that get scared at the vet. But, rest assured, they will be treated well and kindly in your absence. If you’re worried, just talk to your vet about it ❤️.

05/04/2020

Screechies are one of my favorites 😍😍🦉

05/04/2020

Find food resources in Baltimore County during the COVID-19 pandemic.

05/03/2020

🐊 baby gator ❤️

05/02/2020

Nailed it...cats are creative artists 🐈❤️

05/01/2020

🦝 ❤️

04/29/2020

Go PVWDC! ❤️🐾

Could specially-trained dogs become frontline screeners for COVID-19?

04/29/2020

Rocky would like to lodge a formal complaint that every day is not this beautiful outside ☀️ he loves to nap in the sunshine ❤️

04/29/2020

For those looking to get involved in AKC Rally with their dogs while social distancing.

https://www.akc.org/sports/rally/rally-virtual-entry-pilot/

During this time of necessary social distancing, we want to give our beginner AKC Rally® exhibitors a reason to continue training their dogs and to stay engaged with the sport of Rally. The AKC Rally Novice Virtual pilot program will provide these exhibitors an opportunity to stay-at-home and enter...

04/25/2020

Penguins 🐧 and bubbles on
See all the cool things you learn on quarantine?! There’s a World Penguin Day!

04/25/2020

True, did you know that?