Just off Bucktown Road in Cambridge, there is a quiet sanctuary with a couple of walking paths beside the driveway and a clearing with several unassuming buildings. It’s the location of one of the oldest charitable organizations on the Eastern Shore.
Founded in 1947 as the Humane Society of Dorchester County by three locals with big hearts, it separated from Dorchester County Animal Control in 2012 and became Baywater Animal Rescue, a nonprofit, no-kill organization whose mission is to provide homeless furry creatures with shelter and care. As their brochure states, Baywater is “a safe place between lost and found.”
They care for approximately 100 to 120 animals at any time, 75 percent of which are cats. The rest are dogs, ferrets, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rabbits. Most of their yearly intake is strays, surrenders, and transfers from Dorchester County Dog Control. As of this writing, though, they even have a small turtle that was brought in by one of their canines and which they will keep until it is big enough to go to a turtle sanctuary. All told, they rehome about 500 animals each year.
It’s not always easy to do so, however. Some of the residents of Baywater have health or behavioral issues. For example, they’ve had animals who required limb amputation, which meant they would ever after need a different level of activity as well as patience from their human parents.
“We have a special-needs cat right now who basically needs, like, a diaper for the rest of his life,” said Executive Director Carly Stockus of the cat called Humphrey, who was badly injured by a vehicle.
As for behavioral problems, Baywater has some dogs that are selective about their canine companions. So, they are paired with particular dogs for playgroups where they can get enrichment.
“And, if they are not dog-friendly and they need to be the only dog, then that leads to other additional limitations, as well,” Stockus explained. “So, those can be things that make it a little bit more difficult to get them into homes. But we definitely never give up on them.”
Even if they don’t have inherent behavior issues, dogs get stressed out in a shelter setting, something they’re unused to if they’ve come from a home or even outside. They’re forced to be in a kennel and hear and smell many other dogs. The cats are in a similar situation, though they have more freedom of movement in an environment with bunkbeds and other furniture. So, the setting affects their behavior and thus how they appear to prospective parents.
“When animals are in our care, they need consistent interaction,” said Stockus. “So, that involves enrichment when we have volunteers here, and then fostering, which helps get them out of a shelter and used to a home until someone comes to look at them for adoption, and then connecting them with the adopter. We do try to set it up in a way that the animals can be their best selves when the adopter comes to see them.”
Besides getting animals into homes, Baywater tries to keep others in the homes they already have. A major reason people surrender their pets is the cost of feeding or medical care. So, Baywater works closely with local veterinarians to provide them with needed treatment. They offer a weekly, at-cost spay/neuter program for local animal parents. The facility also has a free community pet pantry that feeds about 400 Dorchester County animals of low-income households. Twice weekly, people can go in and collect food that is donated.
In fact, Baywater relies entirely on donations, fundraisers, bequests, and grants to operate, as it receives no state or federal funding. Stockus said they can never get enough supplies from the community. “And it’s always great to have more than we need, because then we can replenish everything that we use, like bedding. That goes quickly. People can never bring us enough bedding.”
There are other ways to help. As their brochure puts it, “continuing to resolve homeless animal situations in Dorchester County and across the mid-shore takes generations.” So, they are always encouraging people to include Baywater in their will or estate plan as a Living Legacy gift.
They also organize and participate in fundraising events throughout the year. Their largest event is the annual gala, a catered dinner with live and silent auctions intended to raise between sixty and eighty thousand dollars. In June, they held their first Run For Their Lives 5K Fun Run, which they plan to make an annual affair. And there are minor partnerships with local restaurants and shops that donate a portion of a day’s proceeds to the shelter.
For those events, Baywater needs volunteers, who also work with the animals through enrichment programs or just help get them their three walks per day. Volunteers are especially important when the shelter gets an unexpected influx of animals, and a call will be put out for these organizations on Instagram and Facebook.
One such influx happened in early July when a cat hoarding situation was discovered in the county. Diana Rathell of Kitty Kat Kottage, her daughter, a sheriff’s deputy, and two men from Dog Control entered a particular house and exited with 35 felines. Rathell believed the cats were taken from, or even trapped on, roads between Hurlock and Federalsburg. Baywater took in ten of the cats to be fully vetted and made available for adoption if previous owners could not be located.
“Donor support enables us to continue this lifesaving work,” Stockus said in a statement. “Their generosity will help cover the costs of medical treatment, food, and shelter for these cats until they find their forever homes.”
Always optimistic about ultimately placing the animals in their care, Baywater soldiers on, aided by their community.
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