Dozens of cats & dogs brought to Mass. from overcrowded shelters in southern states need good homes

SALEM, Mass. — Dozens of cats and dogs that have been brought to Massachusetts from overcrowded animal shelters in Tennessee, Texas, and Kentucky are in need of good homes, MSPCA officials said Wednesday.

The MSPCA-Angell in Boston and Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem transported the animals to the Boston area on Dec. 27, and staff at the shelters are eager to place them into forever homes in early 2023.

The animals — 16 cats from the SPCA of Texas in Dallas, Texas and the Athens Animal Rescue Shelter in Athens, Texas, and 23 dogs from the Humane Educational Society in Chattanooga, Tennessee and the Menifee County Animal Shelter in Frenchburg, Kentucky — had been living in overcrowded shelters but have settled comfortably into the Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem, where they will remain until they can be adopted, MSPCA officials said.

The dogs range in age from eight-weeks to two-years old and are a variety of breeds, including German Shepherds, Dachshunds, Shih Tzus, and Labrador Retrievers. The cats range in age from 13-weeks to 10-years old and are mostly Domestic Shorthairs.

The new arrivals are among more than 4,100 cats and dogs that the MSPCA and Northeast Animal Shelter have transported to Massachusetts in 2022 from states including Florida, South Carolina, and Kentucky—a more than 10 percent increase over 2021, when the two first announced their affiliation.

“Joining with NEAS allowed us to make huge progress toward our ultimate goal of ending animal homelessness,” said Mike Keiley, MSPCA-Angell director of adoption centers and programs and NEAS executive director, in a statement. “Combining our resources has enabled us to help so many more animals in Massachusetts while also bringing our spay and neuter—and other veterinary care—expertise directly to the regions in the country most in need.”

In 2022, the MSPCA and Northeast Animal Shelter began mentoring the Berkeley Animal Center in Berkeley, South Carolina, by helping staff there launch a full-scale Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate and Release (TVNR) program, while also transporting animals out of the overcrowded shelter to Massachusetts, where they were able to find new loving homes.

The clinic the two organizations has spayed and neutered more than 1,100 cats since April, a major milestone for animal welfare in the Berkeley, South Carolina area, officials said.

The newly-arrived cats and dogs in Massachusetts will be available for adoption after their 48-hour state-mandated quarantine and after they receive any medical care they may need, the MSPCA said.

Anyone interested in adopting may visit neas.org/adopt to see when they will become available for adoption.

Some of the dogs will be available for adoption at a discounted fee as part of the MSPCA and Northeast Animal Shelter “Home for the Holidays” adoption campaign, in which all dogs aged one year and older are available for adoption for $100 during the month of December. More information about the event may be found here.

Next year, the MSPCA hopes to transport even more cats and dogs from overcrowded shelters outside of Massachusetts. If you are interested in donating to help make that happen, visit mspca.org/match.

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