Lights, Camera, Woof? Baltimore Orioles Promote Pet Adoption in 2018 BARCS Calendar
BALTIMORE (WJZ)-- The Baltimore Orioles strike a pose to promote pet adoption.
The 2018 Baltimore Orioles/BARCS calendar features shelter pets and some of the players' own personal pets.
Orioles pitcher Kevin Gausman is hoping a picture, will help get his new four-legged friend a forever home.
"It's probably the first time he's been in front of some cameras. I think he was a little bit nervous and a lot of smells on that rug," Gausman says.
The winning pose will be part of the upcoming Orioles pet calendar.
"We kinda hang out with some puppies and kittens so it takes our mind off of a baseball for a little bit too," he says.
The calendar is in it's ninth year with proceeds benefiting the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter.
BARCS is the largest animal shelter in Maryland.
"It's a very successful program and we do sell about 5,000 calendars every year and so it raises a significant amount of funds to help us with the 12,000 animals that we take in every year," says Jennifer Brause, executive director of BARCS.
"The number of stray and homeless animals is just so sky high. We can't save them all. They can't save them all, but every little bit helps," says Adrian Watson of the Pet E.R., a 24-hour emergency care vet hospital, who is sponsoring the calendar for the third year in a row.
"We are always looking for volunteers at the shelter. We're always looking for people to come and adopt. So this really brings awareness to the need of the shelter. And of course donations are always accepted," Brause says.
The Orioles have helped to raise more than $180,000 for BARCS over the last few years.
"The first year we had all our animals and then they were like can we do our pets?" Brause says.
The 15-month, 2018 calendar will be for sale this summer.
Follow @CBSBaltimore on Twitter and like WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore on Facebook
