MSPCA-Angell

‼️ HURRICANE ISAIAS TRANSPORT UPDATE: As the Gulf coast braces for what is projected to be a devastating storm, we coordinated with organizations on the ground in Alabama to get animals out of harm’s way.

Yesterday afternoon, 33 dogs arrived safe and sound to our Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem via an emergency evacuation flight.

This rescue was made possible by a network of organizations working together. Greater Birmingham Humane Society has been tirelessly working to take in animals evacuated from shelters in the hurricane’s projected path, and BISSELL Pet Foundation coordinated the transport north.

Getting animals out before the storm hit served a critical purpose. It directly protects these individuals from potential flooding, power outages, and other storm-related dangers. It also frees up space in an area heavily burdened by pet overpopulation so local shelters have the capacity to take in animals displaced by the storm, and hopefully reunite them with the families searching for them. As always, these were homeless animals already in shelters waiting for adopters, and not peoples’ pets.

The dogs will undergo MA’s required 48-hour quarantine and receive any necessary medical care before becoming available for adoption. We will post updates on the dogs as they become available, likely early next week.

Please donate to help ensure we have plenty of resources to take care of these dogs and other animals like them. You can also help by adopting a dog from us this weekend!

❗ URGENT HURRICANE ISAIAS UPDATE: As the Gulf coast braces for what is projected to be a devastating storm, we are doing all that we can to evacuate pets from the region.

We are preparing for the arrival of roughly 30 dogs from Alabama to MSPCA-Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem via an emergency flight, in a coordinated effort to protect animals before disaster strikes. The storm’s full impact remains uncertain, but the warning signs are serious: Waffle Houses across the region are closing.

This rescue is made possible by a network of organizations working together. Greater Birmingham Humane Society has been tirelessly working to take in animals evacuated from shelters in the hurricane’s projected path, and BISSELL Pet Foundation is coordinating the transport up north.

Getting these dogs out now serves a critical purpose. It directly protects them from potential flooding, power outages, and other storm-related dangers. It also frees up space in an area heavily burdened by pet overpopulation so local shelters have the capacity to take in animals displaced by the storm, and hopefully reunite them with the families searching for them.

Once the dogs arrive, they’ll undergo MA’s required 48-hour quarantine and receive any necessary medical care before becoming available for adoption. We will post updates on the dogs as they become available.

Please donate to help ensure these dogs get to us safely and that we have plenty of resources to take care of them. You can also help by adopting a dog from us this weekend.

Photo courtesy of Greater Birmingham Humane Society

Willow will be the most incredible soulmate dog for the right person 💙

This poor kid has grown up in the shelter. She has been waiting for her somebody to see past her shepherd-teenager exterior, who can help her develop into the very good girl adult dog she has the potential to become.

Willow has so many lovely qualities!! She is playful and friendly; she loooooves attention from people and meeting new friends. She is so so smart and LOVES to learn. Any trick or task you can think of, Willow will figure it out with enthusiasm! She is semi-aquatic and has never met a body of water she doesn’t like - give her a kiddie pool, a pond, a puddle, she’ll take it all!!

As we mentioned, Willow has spent the majority of her life in the shelter. The difficultly of this is that, despite our very best efforts, she has developed some challenging behaviors in an attempt to communicate: mainly using her mouth inappropriately and jumping to solicit attention. Since dogs don’t have hands, they will often use their mouths to ask for things until they are explicitly taught other ways to ask for the things they want.

Willow will need adopters who see her potential and are committed to providing her with ample structure, and working with her over time to teach her better ways to express herself. She does a really good job making the right choices when given the opportunity! Our behavior team will be fully by your side before, during, and after adoption to help guide you through teaching her the right skills using positive reinforcement techniques.

Willow has some close dog pals at the shelter, and could do well living with a well-matched dog friend who can be a good role model for Willow. An on-campus meet would be required.

Willow is currently in a foster home and is learning a lot of the skills she will need to be successful in her new home. She has a great foundation for house training and crate training already and is working on her leash manners and politely greeting people and dogs! To learn more, fill out the foster inquiry at mspca.org/fosterinquiry

We are looking for a cat-savvy home for this naughty but very sweet baby boy! Scooter is a 15 week old kitten who came into our care after it was suspected that he had ingested rat poisoning. We treated him and he is feeling much much better these days and is ready to find a family!

Scooter has spent some time in a foster home, so we have gotten a chance to learn quite a bit about him. He has lived successfully with a dog and loved to cuddle with her. He also loves to cuddle with humans, and will sleep in bed with you, purring all night long.

At times, Scooter thinks he is actually a tiger, and your feet are his prey. He also does not love to share his most special items, and can use his teeth when overstimulated. The good news is that his naughty behaviors improved with thoughtful management and plenty of access to play. That’s why we are looking for a cat-savvy home for him. He does love enrichment and the boy loves a cardboard box!

Stop by our Boston Adoption Center to meet Scooter. We have open adoption hours Tuesday-Sunday from 12pm-4pm - no appointment needed to speak to a staff person regarding available pets.

Our advocacy department continues to work on legislation to restrict the use of rodenticides in Massachusetts. Join the Animal Action Team to keep up with their efforts. MSPCA.org/jointheteam

Fall is upon us, New England!🍂 Because fall is the breeding season for both moose and white-tailed deer (known as rutting), we want to remind motorists to be mindful of increased deer and moose activity, especially during dawn and dusk. Other wildlife are moving too - looking for food and places to winter. It’s getting darker earlier, so wildlife will be more active earlier!

Remember to be vigilant when driving. Pay close attention to wildlife crossing signs that are placed in common crossing areas and locations known to have higher densities of wildlife. Ask your passengers to scan the sides of the roadways – extra eyes are helpful! When visibility is reduced, take advantage of your high beams when no traffic is approaching. Look above the direct line of your headlights, as moose are difficult to spot at night, and are taller than deer.

Learn more precautions when driving with wildlife on the roads - https://www.mspca.org/animal_protection/on-the-road/

A big round of a-paws for our calendar contest winners!! Oppenheimer, an MSPCA-Cape Cod alum, will take the cover for the inaugural calendar. All top 12 animals will have a featured month, and all submissions will be included in a collage inside the calendar 💙

Together, you raised over $60,000 for the animals! Thank you so much to everyone who participated and voted. Win or lose, we believe that every animal, no matter how cute (or ugly cute), deserves love, care, and a world where their well-being is prioritized. That’s what your photo submissions and your votes help provide for animals in Massachusetts and beyond.

If you’d like to order a calendar, you can do so at gogophotocontest.com/mspca2027 - we will ship in early December 💙 see you next year!

Why do we advocate for adopting out black cats during the month of October? Even from our shelter in Salem, Witch City itself? Haven’t we heard the risks?

Every year we get comments like these, and it has become a bit of a passion project for us to myth-bust around it. Of course we have heard the superstition that ill-intentioned people do bad things to black cats in October, and go into shelters to adopt cats just to harm them.

While we completely understand wanting to keep cats safe, we can say with 100% certainty that adopting out black cats in October is not dangerous and there is no increased risk to them now or at any other time of year.

The MSPCA-Angell has a Law Enforcement team of specially trained state officers who investigate and enforce animal cruelty laws. We receive animal cruelty reports and tips from all over the state, and have never seen an uptick in reports of cruelty this time of year. That makes us quite confident that there is no additional harm facing black cats.

There is, however, additional harm in holding animals back from adoption. The longer an animal stays in the shelter, the more at-risk they become for kennel stress and exposure to illness. Not only is this harmful to the individual animal, but also to the next animals in need of an open kennel. That’s why we’re so passionate about working to dispel these kinds of myths and reinforce that black cats are safe in Salem and everywhere else!

With that, we hope someone comes and adopts Opie this weekend! He is an older gentleman who is looking for a nice retirement home.

Stop by Northeast Animal Shelter to meet Opie. We have open adoption hours Tuesday-Sunday from 12pm-5pm - no appointment needed to speak to a staff person regarding available pets.

Last week, we told you about Carrot, who came into our care with a severely broken leg and injuries on her face that were consistent with her mouth being taped.

Now we want to share a happy pupdate: she was adopted!

Carrot, now called Gracie girl, is doing so well in her new home. Her family understands that she was worried while she was in the shelter, so they’ve been taking things at her pace and letting her rest and bond with their family.

Gracie girl is very proud to have her own things like a bed to stretch out in, and has been learning soccer from her sister Sadie. She’s running around and getting used to life on 3 legs. Gracie girl really loves her Dad - a seat next to him on the couch is her chosen spot! Her family reports that she is so wonderful and they feel so lucky to have her join their family.

Happy tails, Gracie girl!

If you’ve always wanted backyard sheep, look no further!

Sheep are herd animals and need the company of other sheep to be healthy and happy. We are looking for adopters who can take at least a pair of sheep or have an existing herd at home that they’d like to expand.

They will require a fenced in area with appropriate shelter for inclement weather. Since sheep are considered livestock, you will need to check with your town to make sure they are allowed in your area. We’re here to support you and answer whatever questions you may have, so please reach out if you think you could offer a loving home to some of these wonderful sheep!

We conduct adoptions for horses and other farm animals at Nevins Farm on an appointment basis only. Fill out an Inquiry for a Horse or Farm Animal at mspca.org/nevinsadopt