IT ALL STARTED WITH ONE DOG...

Maria and her husband adopted a Pit Bull mix, Lexie, in 2008 and felt the need to give back tot he shelter that held on to her for 5 1/2 months until they found her. She then started volunteering for that very shelter. As a photographer, I knew she would be an asset in marketing the dogs.

​

Volunteering at a shelter turned out to be a bit of an addiction for her. She finally felt needed. But at the same time felt more needed to be done. 

​

Maria and her husband ended up adopting 4 more dogs from that shelter before she moved on to start volunteering her time at other shelters. Each shelter, each dog being helped, taught her something new. 

​

Before long, Maria and a friend were directly responsible for getting many Pit Bull type dogs adopted out of the shelter and into loving homes.... But that still wasn't enough. 

​

She started her own Pit Bull rescue group in Hampton Roads, VA with plans to help spay/neuter, microchip, vaccinate, and market Pit Bull type dogs in the rural Isle of Wight County Shelter and beyond. 

​

BARC has created a network of foster homes to take in dogs from Hampton Roads shelters that need a little extra help finding their forever families. 

​

BARC does not take in owner surrenders. BARC concentrates on the dogs that need the most; the ones waiting in shelters.

​

We want to show the community, by example, what wonderful dogs bully breeds can be. 

​

Although BARC has now passed on to new hands, our goals and vision remain the same. To help those most in need in our local shelters.