Dozens of cats and dogs brought to mass from overcrowded shelters in southern states need good homes

Salem, Mass. – Dozens of cats and dogs that were brought to Massachusetts from overcrowded animal shelters in Tennessee, Texas and Kentucky need good homes, the MSPCA said Wednesday.

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

Dozens of cats and dogs brought to mass from overcrowded shelters in southern states need good homes (MSPCA)

The animals — 16 cats from the Texas SPCA 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 are living in overcrowded shelters but have made themselves comfortable in 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 come from a variety of breeds, including German Shepherds, Dachshunds, Shih Tzus and Labrador Retrievers. The cats are between 13 weeks and 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 transported to Massachusetts in 2022 from states including Florida, South Carolina and Kentucky, an increase of more than 10% compared to 2021, when the two first announced their parentage.

“Joining NEAS has allowed us to make tremendous strides towards our ultimate goal of ending animal homelessness,” said Mike Keiley, Director of MSPCA-Angell Adoption Centers and Programs and Executive Director of NEAS, in a statement. “The combination of our resources has allowed us to help many more animals in Massachusetts while bringing our expertise in spaying and spaying – and other veterinary care – directly to the areas of the country that need it the most. need.”

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

The two organizations’ clinic 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.

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

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

Some of the dogs will be available for adoption at a discounted rate through the MSPCA and Northeast Animal Shelter’s “Home for the Holidays” adoption campaign, in which all dogs aged one year and over are available for adoption for $100 during the month of December. More information about the event can be found here.

Next year, the MSPCA hopes to transport even more cats and dogs from overcrowded shelters outside Massachusetts. If you would like to donate towards this, visit mspca.org/match.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News App for the latest news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW