Frequently Asked Questions

WHat Is Barc?

B.A.R.C. stands for Bernese Auction Rescue Coalition. We are a nonprofit organization run by volunteers who are dedicated to rescuing & rehabilitating purebred Bernese Mountain Dogs of all ages from owner surrenders, dog brokers, auctions, mills, and any other dangerous, exploitative or abusive situation. BARC, Inc. places these dogs in loving pet homes as spayed or neutered companions. We adopt through out the United States & Canada, but are based in the MidWest.

There are several "BARC" rescues that stand for other agencies,  so we commonly get calls to help with other dogs and cats. I am sorry that we are not able to help. I suggest you Google" BARC near me" and you will be able to find a local rescues that will be able to  help you.

What is the adoption Process?

Last year, we had over 500 applicants. Due to the volume of applications we receive, we can no longer reply to every application submitted. We will contact potential adopters when and if we have a rescue that could possibly be a fit, and application screening will not take place until then.  We do look at who has been waiting the longest, but we do NOT operate on a first come first served basis. We try to find the best home for the dog. That is our priority.

The things we look at in the application: how many hours will the dog be left alone, is there a fenced in yard, how many miles are you willing to travel to get the dog and what are you looking for as far as age and sex of the dog.

The adoption coordinator gets information from the foster about their personality: shy, fearful, aggressive, adjusted, etc. Then based on that they decide whether the home can have children or needs a quiet home. Then they discuss can the dog walk on a leash or not, go in and out a door, if it has food issues and so on.

The adoption coordinator pulls the applications that meet the dog’s needs and fits the description of the kind of dog the family desires. She sends those to the foster parent to look over and help rank as to whom they would like to phone interview first, second, etc. The adoption coordinator will call the first selected person discuss adoption fees for that particular dog and gets them in touch with the foster parent.  Then the adoption coordinator and the foster confer and decide if that placement was a good fit or should they try the next placement.

Once they find the perfect fit for the family and dog the adoption coordinator will call that prospective adopter and finalize the adoption. A day or two later the contract will be emailed to the adopter. It will need to be signed and given to the foster when they pick up the dog along with the fee, if it has not already been paid.

There are a few things that you should know!

Our contract is a standard rescue contract that states that BARC is s co-owner to the adopted dog. Do NOT freak out. This is to retain the right if your dog was neglected or abused or was trying to be sold, BARC would get the dog back. BARC will take any of adopted dogs back willingly. We are not going to storm your house and take your dog away. We are concerned with the welfare of our dogs and if you treat them like you say in your applications there will be no problem. We know circumstances change and if you let us know we will help out because we are now BARC family. I don’t think we have ever taken a dog back unless we were asked to.
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Most of our dogs come from breeder releases, either directly or through auction. The dog’s prior way of life is not the same as a puppy raised in a home. Some have no social skills and are extremely timid; so fearful they cringe at human touch and can’t look you in the eye. That is the extreme of the spectrum, but one will not be able to walk that dog on a leash. It will need a secure fence where it can  shoot out the door and pray that you can get them back in without chasing them around the yard a few dozen times until they are so scared they head to the house because you are now a crazy person. Yes, it has happened. Take them out on a long lead, they do not want to poop in front of you. Luckily, we have the other end of the spectrum where the dogs takes everything in stride and is happy-go-lucky and is enjoying a house for the first time. Puppies usually do not come with as many issues, but they may have a few eccentric behaviors. Mostly, they want attention and love. AS do ALL our rescues!

We DO get puppies at various times, but we do not post those on our website or Facebook page as we will get hundreds of applications I one day. We cannot handle that kind of volume.
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BARC is made up of volunteers; many with full time jobs. We TRY to get back to people in a timely manner, but it is not always possible. The best way to reach us is through Facebook messenger. We can then get your message to the right person.

***Tips***
The more information you fill out on the application the better. Describe your fencing situation in detail. Our adoption Coordinator has hundreds of applications to go through PLEASE if you are serious about adopting reapply every 6 months. It takes a long time to adopt dogs out because BARC will call and leave a message and three days go by and we call again and they have already gotten another dog. It is fine that you found another dog elsewhere, we are happy for you. Please don’t hold up the adoption process. Please respond as soon as you can.
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For those of you that have changed your mind and no longer want to adopt for whatever reason, please Facebook message us and tell us to take you off the list.

Do You Have any puppies or dogs available?

Thank you for your interest in BARC. The dogs we currently have up for adoption are on our Facebook page in the "Available Berners" album. (Please ignore the date on the album, instead look at the date of the photo posted.) Dogs in that album are currently looking for a home. We may have other dogs in foster that we will be adding to the file once we learn of their personality and the type of home they need. If we have an applicant that meets a dogs needs, we may contact them immediately instead of listing the dog for adoption. We also get puppies, but we never post those as available as we get hundreds of applications in one day. Please apply at barcinc.net so we know what you are looking for.

Click here for BARC's Facebook Page

I'm interested in adopting, how do I apply?

Please, go to barcinc.net to apply by filling out the application or use the links below. The more information you can supply the better. A fenced yard is needed for most dogs and the farther you can travel to get the dog is better. Added information will allow BARC to find the dog that will fit in best with your family. Thank you for your interest in BARC.

Adoption Information

Adoption Application

How Can I Help?

We always need volunteers (transporters & fosters)! You can donate or buy items from our shop! See the Volunteer Page!

Adoption - Frequently Asked Questions

Where Do barc dogs come from?

BARC, Inc. is a non-profit corporation dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating Bernese Mountain Dogs from dog brokers, dog auctions, puppy mills, and any other dangerous, exploitative or abusive situation.  BARC rescues are not specific to one state or part of the country but occur across the United States.  

What is a BARC rescued dog like?

BARC dogs range in age from puppies to seniors with most being somewhere in the middle age group.  While each dog has its own individual needs they are frequently shy and have no understanding at all of life as a pet.  Many are afraid of men, loud noises, sudden movements, doors, walking on grass and other situations that most dogs would consider to be normal.  BARC assesses the needs of each dog while in foster care.  Lots of love and patient positive reinforcement is then used to help bring out a wonderful, 4 legged, family member.  This is a road that is traveled at the pace that each dog dictates.  The more traumatized the dog – the longer it may take before they are ready for placement. 

​What are the typical medical issues a rescue dog has?

Most of the rescues will make their very first trip to a veterinarian during their first week in BARC’s care.  They will be checked over, receive fecal and heartworm testing and be started on their shots.  Based on the results of the fecal and heartworm testing, they will be treated for their specific parasites and start heartworm and flee & tick preventative care.  Depending on their age and gender they will be spayed or neutered.  They may have eye infections, skin infections and other needs that are also evaluated and may be treated prior to placement.   Most rescues are VERY underweight to the point of being able to feel every bone in the spine, hips and ribs so they will require extra portions of high quality food.  If they had been kept in small crates with no room to move they will have underdeveloped and/or atrophied muscles that require good protein and increasing levels of activity.  Known medical needs, and their treatment status, will be disclosed but it is possible that there may also be issues that are not known at the time of placement.  All medical issues and treatments after placement are the responsibility of the owner .

Why are the adoption fees so high?

BARC does everything it can to be able to keep the adoption fees as low as possible but the bottom line is that it is expensive to rescue Bernese Mountain Dogs from exploitative, neglectful and abusive situations.  Besides the initial cost of the rescue there is the cost of vetting, transporting the dogs from rescue to foster home and other needs of the dogs while they are in foster care.  These dogs require collars, leashes, food, shots, spay/neuter, de-worming, heartworm testing, heartworm preventative and more.  Sometimes they need additional treatments for things such as infections in the eyes, ears, teeth, limbs, or skin.  They may have issues such as seizures or other medical needs that can’t be foreseen at the time of rescue.  BARC is only able to continue to rescue other Bernese Mountain Dogs if the cost of doing the rescues is covered.  The adoption fee does not cover the cost of transporting your dog from its foster home to your location.

What are the options for getting my dog after I adopt it?

The preferred method for getting your dog, after the contract has been signed, is to have you pick up the dog directly at the foster home.  If it is a puppy that will be allowed in cabin some owners choose to fly to the location of the foster home to pick up their dog.  And, on rare occasions the choice is made to fly a dog in the luggage area of commercial flights.  All costs of fights, kennels, etc. are the responsibility of the owners when this is done.  BARC reserves the right to not allow some dogs to travel by plane when there are medical reasons involved or it will further traumatize an already overly sensitive dog.  Commercial airlines also place restrictions on when dogs are allowed in the luggage area of planes due to size limitations, weather and other situations that further limit when dogs can be flown to their forever homes.

Will I be able to meet the dog before I decide to adopt?

BARC rescues occur across the US and the dogs are moved into their foster homes as soon as possible.  If you are close enough to the foster home to visit the dog in person, it is possible to meet the dog before signing the adoption contract.  However, because most BARC dogs are being placed “long distance” across the US and Canada every effort is made by the Adoption committee to understand just what the potential owner is looking for in their dog.  BARC is interested in placing each BARC baby in the correct home rather than the first interested home.

What is the normal adoption process?

The BARC adoption process begins with the adoption application.  Filling out the application is an important tool for gathering information and does not obligate the individual to complete the adoption process nor does it guarantee that a BARC dog will be placed in applicants’ home.   Once the application is received the first contact is usually a phone conversation so that BARC can learn more about the applicant and the applicant can learn more about BARC.  This conversation and the information on the application are than summarized on the adoption application log.  As dogs are rescued and evaluated they are compared to the logged information for possible matches in the order that the applications are received.

When there is a potential match the application and summary notes are reviewed in detail and the next contact with the applicant is made.  This phone call will verify that the potential home is still interested and allow for a more specific conversation of how this particular dog, or dogs, may fit into the family.  When there is more than one possible match they will all be discussed. If both the BARC representative and the applicant feel there may be potential matches at the end of this second contact than the next BARC contact will be a phone call between the foster home(s) and applicant where the most intimate and up-to-date information on the dog will be available.  Based on the continued interest of the potential owner; the BARC adoption committee will than review the application, all BARC review notes, the input of the foster home(s) and the outcome of the reference checks.  A placement decision will be made and the applicant notified.

​The BARC adoption committee’s focus is that of placing the correct dog into the correct home.  If it is decided that this isn’t the correct home for the dog(s) the application will be reviewed again as other possible matches become available.

Will I be able to adopt a puppy?

BARC does rescue puppies from time to time but it is more likely that the dogs being rescued are at least 1 year or older.  Most often, when puppies are rescued, BARC is able to find them homes by reviewing the adoption log for possible matches.  Because of the number of logged applicants that are looking for puppies it is doubtful that BARC will ever have puppies actually shown on the adoptable dogs’ web page.  Due to the age at the time of adoption puppies are often adopted on a spay/neuter contract.  This requires that you will supply proof of spay/neuter once it has been completed. 

Are BARC dogs good with kids, other dogs, cats?

Part of the evaluation process is to determine how the rescue will do in a variety of situations.  Do they seem like they are comfortable around children and if so, what ages?  How do they do around dogs, cats and other animals?  Because of the importance to BARC for successful matches we will always go with a conservative approach and consider the safety of all concerned first.

What if I have problems after I adopt a BARC rescue? 

No matter how much ground has been covered while in foster care, BARC Babies often have more work to do once they have been placed into a loving forever home.  BARC offers support to its owners by way of an on-line owners group that includes other owners, an animal behaviorist, an animal nutritionist, and other great people who will be happy to offer you suggestions when needed.  First time BARC owners are also assigned a BARC Buddy to help guide them through their first year with their new family member. Plus the BARC Board Members are only an email away.  BARC never wants you to feel that you are facing the future with your BARC Baby alone!

Do you ever take dogs back if the adoption doesn’t work out?

The BARC contract requires that all dogs be returned to BARC if they cannot continue to stay with the family that they were adopted into no matter what the reason for that may be.  If you desire to rehome the dog within your extended family or circle of friends that also needs to also be handled through BARC.

How can I help if I can’t adopt a dog?

Beside donations of money, which are always welcome, there are many ways to help out.  Here is just a partial list:

• Foster Homes
• Transporting Dogs
• Supplies such as leashes and collars
• Dog Grooming (These dogs are matted, dirty and very stinky when rescued!
• Or, tell us what your skills and passions are…

Don't see the info you're looking for? ​Contact us on Facebook!

Foster Guidelines

Being a foster..

Fostering is "dog sitting" in your home until we find their forever family. You're a key element in showing them what love is! We're able to do vetting, learn about their personality, & what their needs are; so, we can place them in their ideal environment. Length of stay varies on the dog (2 weeks - 2 months). Please, keep in mind that some dogs could be extremely fearful & have not had much human interaction. It is *not* like dog sitting for a friend's dog.. however, it is SO rewarding.  We do occasionally have "foster fails", in which the foster family is given the opportunity to adopt because they can't imagine life without them anymore! 

Introduction of Your Foster Dog into your Home

Introduction of Your Foster Dog into your Home: Always use caution when introducing two animals. The new animal should be slowly introduced, kenneled, and/or separated from your pets. Introduction of dogs can be handled on neutral territory such as a park or neighbor’s yard. When you must leave, make sure the foster is in a secure area. *Extreme Flight Risks will need added security measures.

Housetraining and Confinement

Housetraining and Confinement: Some of our BARC babies have lived in cages their entire life or had large pens with no shelter. It absolutely depends on your foster on whether to attempt crate training. The introduction of a crate will tell you whether it will be too stressful for your foster to attempt. If crate training is not an option, try confining the dog in a kitchen or tiled room that has quick access to the outdoors.

Training

Training: Always take into consideration that this animal needs to fit in to another home. Work with them on the basic commands, such as sitting, walking, etc. (if you need assistance on training these commands, please ask!!). We absolutely do not believe in aggressive training so if you have behavioral problems that you don’t know how to handle, please call your foster coordinator. We want the dog to have fun and feel safe.

Veterinary Care

Veterinary Care: BARC wants to make sure that your foster baby stays in tip top shape or in some cases, comes back to health. With your help, your foster coordinator will keep the dog up to date on vaccinations, heartworm preventative, and flea and tick prevention. When you receive your foster dog, you will be provided with heartworm preventative and flea and tick prevention. If while in your care, your foster dog becomes ill, is injured, or “just doesn’t seem to be acting right”, please call your foster coordinator. Your coordinator will help with suggestions, tried & true homemade treatments, or will instruct you to seek a veterinarian’s care. While in veterinarian’s care, BARC will pay for microchipping, vaccinations (including rabies, bordetella, & distemper combination shot), fecal float, deworming, parasite removal, ear treatment for mites or infection, or any other treatment deemed necessary to bring your foster back to its optimum health. We can’t stress enough that all medical intervention needs to be authorized by your foster coordinator.

Adoption and Saying Goodbye

Adoption and Saying Goodbye: This may the hardest part of fostering. You are an ambassador of BARC. You are encouraged to show, walk or do anything to help place your foster. All adoptions and fees must be handled and approved through the BARC board. If you happen to find a wonderful home for your foster, call your foster coordinator and she will have the board get in touch with that person.

Record Keeping

Record Keeping: You have been supplied some records you must keep accurate and current. Also, please include an evaluation of your animal. Please list things that will be helpful to the dog’s new family. Those include feeding schedule and food, medicine, personality traits (likes to play, shy, loves balls, gets along with other dogs, etc.) and any other traits that they will need to be aware of.

Foster Coordinator

Foster Coordinator:
Barb Sherman     
(815) 383-2087   (text or call if urgent)  
bgs82@sbcglobal.net

Any issues or questions? Medical advice & approval available! Are you wanting to foster fail? (aka: Adopt) Let me know!