As the COVID-19 situation evolves, we have put some changes into place at the MSPCA-Angell so we can continue to serve the pets and people of our community while keeping our staff, volunteers, and clients protected. We recognize the vital role that our hospitals and adoption centers play as a safe haven for animals especially in times of crisis, and we are committed to being a resource for our community. As we adjust to these unanticipated changes, our front line team is grateful for your support and patience. For CDC Recommendations Regarding Companion Animals and COVID-19, please see the bottom of this announcement.

Angell Animal Medical Center

As an essential business, Angell Animal Medical Center has remained open during the pandemic and is providing urgent medical care, without disruption, to animal patients in our charge. We have implemented extensive safety precautions to protect both our clients and employees. As Mass state regulations change, we will update our guidelines. We thank you in advance for your understanding.

Coronaviruses in Dogs and Cats

Dogs and cats get their own coronaviruses that are not related to SARS-CoV-2019, the virus that causes COVID-19. The two most well-known cause Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) in cats and the other is part of the complex of pathogens that cause respiratory illness (Kennel Cough) in dogs. If a veterinarian diagnoses your dog with a coronavirus infection such as these rest assured it is not related to COVID-19 and not infectious to people.

Angell Boston

How Angell Boston is delivering care to your pet while minimizing risk of COVID-19 transmission:

• To help ensure Angell’s clinicians and staff can safely continue to deliver care to our patients, we have taken steps to limit the amount of contact we have with our clientele. While all clients our now permitted to enter the building upon arrival at our facility, there will be times where we ask you to wait outside of the building for service. By waiting in your car or under the tents in our parking lot, you will help us maintain safe social distance with everyone in our lobby while staying below our COVID-19 building occupancy requirements.
  • Clients waiting for emergency services will be allowed to remain in the waiting room for the duration of their visit.
  • Clients coming to Angell for appointments or to admit/discharge their pet from the hospital should come inside upon arrival to begin the process with our front desk staff before returning outside to wait. We will communicate with you by telephone after you’ve stepped back outside.
  • Clients coming in to pick up previously ordered medications/food from our Pharmacy should come right in the building and complete their transaction with the staff inside.
• Client Communication: 
  • The nature of your visit will determine the next point of contact after your arrival to the hospital. Please make sure that you are checking in with a member of the front desk staff upon arrival and they will direct you to the appropriate waiting area and determine for you what the next point of contact will be.
• PLEASE NOTE: you SHOULD NOT enter our facility if any of the following are true:
  • You are experiencing a cough, fever, or chills.
  • You have tested positive for COVID-19, or if you (or anyone you live with) has a COVID-19 test pending.
  • You have traveled anywhere by plane in the last 14 days.
    If any of the above are true, please do not enter the building.
    Call from outside and we will arrange to assist you and your pet over the telephone.
  • Once inside, please note that MASKS must be worn properly (completely covering your nose and mouth) at all times.
  • Whenever possible, we ask that only one (1) client come inside with each patient.
  • While inside, we ask that you please maintain appropriate social distancing from all other clients and members of our staff.
• Pharmacy.  Angell continues to fill prescriptions 7 days per week. Beginning Wednesday, July 15, the Angell Pharmacy in Boston will allow pharmacy clients into the building to pick up and pay for pre-ordered food and medication refills. Please note: This does not include prescriptions ordered during appointments or at discharge. To maintain the safety of our clients and staff, clients are required to wear a mask and traffic patterns will be clearly outlined on the floor to help maintain appropriate social distance while in the building. The building is not yet open to clients visiting for appointments, we will continue our curbside concierge service for non-pharmacy clients. Mailing of prescriptions available (shipping fees apply). Clients can submit their prescription requests at angell.org/pharmacy or by calling 617-524-5700.
• Please support Angell by ordering your Angell patient prescriptions through angell.org/pharmacy  versus other online sites.

Please note that failure to comply with Angell’s COVID-19 Safety Guidelines will result in your immediate removal from our facility.

Angell West, Waltham

•  Angell West in Waltham continues to welcome all referral cases. Clients or primary care veterinarians please call 781-902-8400 to schedule an appointment.
• To help ensure the safety or our clinicians and staff, we are only allowing two (2) clients in the building at a time for end of life situations.
• Emergency services. As always, our emergency room is open 24 /7 Angell West to care for our most acutely ill patients.
• Call ahead. We encourage you and/or your primary care vet to call before your visit (if your pet is not experiencing a life-threatening emergency) so we can direct your needs in the most time and cost efficient manner.
• Physical Rehabilitation. Our physical rehabilitation service at Angell West is open and continues to see patients. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call 781-902-8400.

Angell at Nashoba and Angell at Essex

• Angell at Nashoba in Westford and Angell at Essex in Danvers remain open for primary care services with entry into the hospitals restricted to patients and staff.

Animal Care and Adoption Centers

• Adoption and surrender services are available by appointment.
  Please visit our website at mspca.org/surrender or mspca.org/adopt for more information.
• Our adoption centers remain closed to the general public.
  In order to maintain a safe environment for our staff, volunteers, animals and clients the adoption centers will remain closed to walk-through traffic for the foreseeable future.
• Our low cost spay/neuter clinics are open in Boston and Methuen.
  We ask for your patience as we work to reschedule appointments that were cancelled during the outbreak while also accommodating new inquiries for spay/neuter. We hope to start scheduling appointments for spay/neuter at our Cape adoption center in August.
• Dog training classes have resumed in Boston and Methuen.
  Visit mspca.org/dogtraining for more information on in-person and virtual training options.
• All adoption center events are cancelled for 2020.
  In-person events, including vaccination clinics, humane education programs, and fundraising events are cancelled.  Please watch mspca.org/events for future virtual event opportunities.
• Our Community Outreach teams are providing access to food, emergency temporary housing, and urgent veterinary care.
  Our goal is to keep families together with their pets and make sure no pet goes hungry during the crisis. Visit mspca.org/communityoutreach to learn more.
• Foster care and volunteer orientations are suspended until 2021.
  Please visit mspca.org/volunteer for the most up-to-date information.
• We are accepting donated items on a limited basis.
  Visit mspca.org/wishlist for a list of items we do and do not accept at this time.
• We are accepting monetary donations of support.
  Visit mspca.org/helpnow to donate to our COVID-19 relief efforts.

Thank you for your understanding and support as we strive to continue our work on behalf of animals and the people who love them. We are thinking about all of you – our staff, volunteers, supporters, clients, and community partners – and doing everything we can to be here for those who need us the most. The effects of this crisis will be far reaching. By following the latest trusted science and being compassionate and kind to one another, we will get through this.

CDC Recommendations Regarding Companion Animals and COVID-19

Public health officials are still learning about severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
(SARS-CoV-2. This is the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease), but there is no evidence that pets play a role in spreading the virus in the United States. Therefore, there is no justification in taking measures against companion animals that may compromise their welfare. Further studies are needed to understand if and how different animals, including pets, could be affected.

Until we know more, CDC recommends the following:

• Do not let pets interact with people or other animals outside the household.
• Keep cats indoors when possible to prevent them from interacting with other animals or people.
• Walk dogs on a leash, maintaining at least 6 feet from other people and animals.
• Avoid dog parks or public places where a large number of people and dogs gather.

If you are sick with COVID-19 (either suspected or confirmed by a test), restrict contact with your pets and other animals, just like you would around other people.

• When possible, have another member of your household care for your pets while you are sick.
• Avoid contact with your pet, including petting, snuggling, being kissed or licked, and sharing food or bedding.
• If you must care for your pet or be around animals while you are sick, wear a cloth face covering and wash your hands before and after you interact with them.

For information on how to keep your indoor cat entertained, check out these tips from the MSPCA Animal Care and Adoption Center:

MSPCA-Angell Asks Donors, Adopters to Step Forward to Ensure a Brighter Future for “Juicebox”

BOSTON, Feb. 9, 2021 – A seven-month-old cat that MSPCA-Angell staffers have named “Juicebox” is lucky to be alive after he was attacked by the resident dog at his Boston-area home on Jan. 20th and rushed to Angell Animal Medical Center by his family just after.

Angell’s emergency veterinarians treated the adorable orange cat for pain and head trauma, and diagnosed serious facial injuries: multiple jaw fractures, lacerations and damage to the palate in the roof of his mouth.

Novel Surgery, with BUTTONS to Hold Sutures in Place

Juicebox underwent surgery to repair the fractures and, in what veterinarians describe as a novel but highly effective approach, he now has four plastic buttons on his face—two on his cheeks and two below his chin—to hold sutures in place and stabilize his jaw so that healing can take place.  Juicebox is expected to “wear” his buttons for another four to six weeks, after which time they will be removed completely.

Juicebox’s former family made the difficult decision to surrender their cat to the MSPCA so that he can be placed in a new home, free of dogs.  MSPCA staffers are quick to point out, however, that what makes the young cat so special is not just how he looks, but his adorable and playful personality.

“He has obviously been through and survived a serious trauma, but he has adapted quickly to the sutures that limit the use of his jaw and, through it all, he’s remained an outgoing, playful and really friendly cat,” said Victoria Odynsky, manager at the MSPCA’s Boston adoption center.  “We are relieved that we are able to provide urgent medical care for him, and we’re glad to see him recovering so well.”

Juicebox has been placed in a foster home with an MSPCA volunteer who can manage his ongoing medical needs, and provide loads of TLC while he recovers.  He’ll return to the MSPCA this Friday, Feb. 12 for x-rays and to assess his progress.

Help Juicebox!

Juice Box’s medical care will exceed $2,000, and the MSPCA encourages anyone able to offset the cost of his care to donate at www.mspca.org/juicebox.

Juicebox will soon be ready for a permanent home, and the MSPCA expects many adopters to step forward, owing to soaring interest in animal adoption in Massachusetts.

Anyone interested in adopting Juicebox can inquire about his status by way of this form: www.mspca.org/bostonadoptioninquiry.

NEAS Turns its Renowned Pet Transport Operation over to the MSPCA as Demand for Adoptable Pets Soars

BOSTON, Jan. 6, 2021 – In what leaders of both organizations hail as a win for animals and the people who love them, the MSPCA-Angell and Northeast Animal Shelter (NEAS) today announced an affiliation that will allow the two organizations to work together to place more pets than ever into loving homes.

With the new relationship, the MSPCA-Angell will take on the oversight and management of NEAS, while NEAS will continue to operate as a separate organization, maintaining its name and Salem headquarters.

This affiliation between two of the region’s most recognized names in animal welfare comes as demand for adoptable animals skyrockets against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to record shortages of pets in shelters across the Northeast and beyond.

Leaders at both the MSPCA and NEAS want to meet this demand with animals from regions where shelters remain full—and in some cases overflowing—and where adoption prospects for many pets remain bleak.

“There’s no question that the pandemic’s economic fallout has hit some parts of the country harder than others, and we know from experience that when people fall on hard times, animals can become vulnerable,” said Neal Litvack, president and CEO of the MSPCA-Angell.

Litvack maintained that the combining of NEAS’ robust animal transport network with the MSPCA’s veterinary and adoption center resources will ultimately connect thousands more pets with adopters than either organization could manage on their own.  “We’re stronger together than we are apart—and the real beneficiaries of this collaboration will be the animals we serve,” said Litvack.

NEAS: An Animal Welfare Legacy Like No Other
Founded by Cindi Shapiro in 1976 with a mission to place as many adoptable pets as possible in safe and loving homes, NEAS has been the region’s top source for adoptable dogs and cats, and in later years evolved its programming to include community outreach initiatives such as behavior and training classes, a community pet food bank, and temporary foster homes for animals impacted by domestic violence through a partnership with Healing Abuse Working for Change (HAWC).

After successfully running the organization for decades—and placing 145,000 animals into loving homes along the way—NEAS’ leadership reached out to the MSPCA to oversee governance and operations.

“Since our founding, we’ve never wavered from our mission to save as many adoptable dogs and cats as we can, and place them into loving homes,” said Cindi Shapiro, founder and president of NEAS.

“Over the past year, we began to discuss ways we could increase our lifesaving efforts, and joining forces with the MSPCA, with its deep expertise in all areas of animal welfare and its commitment to helping more pets find homes, was a natural fit. I couldn’t be more excited to be part of this next chapter—which will not only cement NEAS’ legacy of compassion, but help so many more animals than we otherwise would be able to,” added Shapiro.

The Road Ahead

The MSPCA and NEAS have long shared the same vision for animal protection, and have been collaborating for years.  Those efforts came into relief during 2020—a year of tumult unlike any other.  Already this year, the MSPCA and NEAS coordinated rescue efforts to establish interim housing for 286 pets from eight separate animal transports from Florida, Georgia and St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands.

Overseeing those efforts is Mike Keiley, director of adoption centers and programs at the MSPCA-Angell.  Keiley will serve as interim executive director of NEAS during the transition.  “This [relationship] marks a major step toward our collective goal of helping every animal that we can—and ensuring they remain safe and healthy in their homes,” he said.

Keiley’s teams have in recent years focused increasingly on community outreach, hosting dozens of discounted spay and neuter, vaccination and microchip clinics in economically disadvantaged regions in Massachusetts, and—since the start of the pandemic—delivering more than one million free pet meals to legions of pet owners whose pets might otherwise go hungry, while expanding community clinic services to keep pets and families together through steeply discounted veterinary services.

Critical Funds to Help Pet Families in Underserved Communities across Massachusetts

BOSTON, Dec. 30, 2020 – One of the most common reasons pets are surrendered to local shelters is the lack of affordable pet wellness, training and education programs.  Due to cost and other barriers, pets in under-resourced communities often do not have access to basic veterinary care such as spay and neuter services, vaccinations, dental care and other medical and preventative care.

With a $302,000 grant from PetSmart Charities, the MSPCA aims to support pets and pet parents in need of these services by providing pet food relief—with more than 750,000 pet meals already distributed to pet owners in 2020—steeply discounted spay and neuter services (and vaccination and microchipping), as well as urgent care through its recently announced low cost clinics, which are co-located within its animal care and adoption centers in Boston, Methuen and Centerville, Mass.  The grant focuses funding in three of the most underserved communities in Massachusetts – Lowell, Lawrence and Hyannis.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has created economic hardships for so many, and we know that lack of affordable veterinary care, and access to that care, adds an additional financial and emotional strain to families,” said Aimee Gilbreath, President of PetSmart Charities. “They may have to make difficult choices including the possible surrender of their pets to shelters in order to receive veterinary care. Grants like these to MSPCA help keep families healthy and together, even during difficult times.”

Since 1994, through its partnership with nearly 4,000 humane societies, SPCAs and pet rescues across North America, PetSmart Charities has helped more than 9.5 million pets find loving homes via its in-store adoption program in over 1,650 PetSmart® stores.  The leading funder of animal welfare has also donated nearly $430 million to positively impact communities, connect people with pets and to help preserve families and improve access to veterinary care through initiatives like this one with the MSPCA-Angell.

For more information about the MSPCA’s Community Outreach initiatives, click here.

About PetSmart Charities®
PetSmart Charities, Inc. is committed to finding lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together. Through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart® stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, PetSmart Charities helps to find forever homes and families for nearly 600,000 shelter pets each year. PetSmart Charities also provides grant funding to nonprofits aligned with its mission. Each year, millions of generous PetSmart shoppers help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities using the PIN pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores. In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses more than 90 cents of every dollar donated to fulfill its role as the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, granting nearly $430 million since its inception in 1994. Independent from PetSmart Inc., PetSmart Charities is a 501(c)(3) organization that has received the Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator, a third-party organization that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of nonprofits, for the past 17 years in a row – placing it among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization. To learn more visit www.petsmartcharities.org.

Follow PetSmart Charities on Twitter: @PetSmartChariTs
Find PetSmart Charities on Facebook: Facebook.com/PetSmartCharities
See PetSmart Charities on YouTube: YouTube.com/PetSmartCharitiesInc

A Panacea for Under-Served Pet Owners, Need-Based, Low-Cost Vet Care Keeps Pets with the Families who Love them

BOSTON, Dec. 21, 2020 – With the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic fallout worsening by the day, and calls for “healthcare justice” ringing out in state after state, the MSPCA-Angell announced today the opening of its community clinics in Boston, Methuen and Centerville, Mass., which provide steeply discounted, compassionate veterinary care for qualifying, low-income families who might otherwise have to surrender a beloved pet.

The primary focus of the community clinics, which are co-located with the MSPCA’s three Animal Care and Adoption Centers, is the delivery of compassionate, low-cost out-patient care—such as treatment for broken bones, falls or other acute illness or injuries—and other unexpected care needs for which treatment at a general veterinary practice is out of reach for struggling pet owners.

Healthcare Justice: Expanding the Veterinary Care Safety Net

The MSPCA’s 24-7 emergency and specialty care hospital, Angell Animal Medical Center, already operates satellite clinics in Danvers and Westford, Mass., which provide urgent and primary care to hundreds of pets every year.  The addition of the three community clinics makes the MSPCA-Angell the largest network of need-based, low-cost veterinary services in all of New England.

“These community clinics are an essential safety net for pet owners who, when faced with a sudden and unexpected need for urgent veterinary care, would be left with few options beyond euthanasia, surrendering the animal to a shelter or forgoing treatment altogether,” said Mike Keiley, director of adoption centers and programs at the MSPCA-Angell.

The MSPCA’s Boston clinic went live at the start of June, with its Methuen and Cape Cod services following in November and December.

Compassionate, Affordable Care to the Rescue for Gepetto!

This essential service proved a lifesaver for an adorable five-year-old black and white cat named Gepetto, who on Nov. 21 was critically injured when he slipped out of his Quincy, Mass. home and was, presumably, struck by a car.

Gepetto needed dental surgery to address his broken teeth and reattach his lower lip to his jaw.  Fortunately, he found his way to the Boston clinic, where Dr. Cynthia Minter performed the operation, and he is now back home with his grateful family, recovering from the ordeal.

“With the community clinics now fully operational, we’re able to double down on the number of animals we can help at a time when so many pet owners need it—and we know this will result in healthier pets, and more animals living in homes with the people who love them—rather than surrendered to shelters,” added Keiley.

To qualify, pet owners must be referred by a veterinarian and currently enrolled in a public assistance program, such as SNAP, WIC, residency in public housing, etc., or have an income below the Massachusetts state poverty guidelines.  For more information, click mspca.org/clinics.

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“Dale” is Healing after More than a Month in Treatment, Will be Placed for Adoption if no Owner Steps Forward

BOSTON, Nov. 24, 2020 – If it’s true that cats have nine lives, then three-year-old “Dale” used at least one of his after experiencing severe burns from a car engine, which he may have snuggled up to in an attempt to stay warm on a frigid fall evening, the MSPCA-Angell announced today.

Dale was brought to the MSPCA-Angell on Oct. 20 by Boston Animal Control, who found the cat meowing in pain underneath a car’s hood on Monmouth Street in East Boston.

Dale—a black and white domestic short haired cat who weighs about 10 pounds—was not initially thought to be badly hurt until he arrived at the MSPCA, where the seriousness of his injuries was made plain.

“After a few days with us, the extent of the burns became more clear,” said Dr. Rebecca Fellman of the MSPCA’s Boston Animal Care and Adoption Center.

Dr. Fellman said it’s common for the severity and size of burns to gradually worsen several days on from the initial injury, as more and more tissue continues to die.  In Dale’s case, it meant that he would have to undergo several surgeries to clean and eventually close the wounds.

“We’ve been treating him with tissue debridement procedures—removal of dead tissue so that new tissue may heal—as well as with bandaging, antibiotics and pain medication, and even though some of the wounds have not closed because of their size or location, we’re hoping they will eventually heal,” she said.

Dale on the Mend, Mystery Deepens

It’s been five weeks since he first arrived, and Dale is recovering well.  The question now is: does Dale already have a home?

“He’s really friendly and social so we know he once had a home—and we’re hoping that by drawing attention to his plight, an owner may step forward to claim him,” said Victoria Odynsky, manager of the MSPCA’s Boston adoption center.

Odynksy said that the lack of identification tags and microchip make it impossible for the center to identify and contact Dale’s former owner.

“Should no one claim Dale, we’ll place him into a wonderful loving home as soon as he’s medically ready to leave the safety of the shelter,” she said.

Anyone with information about Dale’s owner—or readers interested in adopting—can email the center directly at adoption@mspca.org.

Dale is just one of thousands of animals the MSPCA will care for in 2020 alone—both inside and outside its three adoption centers.  Readers who would like to offset the cost of his care—and the care of animals just like him—can click here to make a donation.

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Organization Urges Adopters and Donors to Step Forward as Newest Animal Transport Arrives in the State

BOSTON and Centerville, Mass., Oct. 9, 2020 – It’s been less than two weeks since dozens of pets from storm and COVID-19-ravaged St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands made their way to the MSPCA-Angell and now, on the heels of those animals finding new homes, the organization has transported another 19 cats to Massachusetts, this time from Georgia.

Kitten Surge!

The cats, 14 of whom are kittens aged eight weeks, with five adults, arrived by van on Oct. 6, driven at no cost by Puppy Pipeline Rescue of Georgia.  They are described as social and healthy and will thrive in a variety of homes.

The cats had been living at the LaGrange Animal Shelter in LaGrange, Georgia, which has been overwhelmed with animals as a result of the Coronavirus’ economic fallout, experiencing a 45 percent year-over-year increase in animal surrenders in 2020.

“We remain committed to helping shelters across the country who are struggling to care for the number of animals in their facilities,” said Mike Keiley, director of adoption centers and programs at the MSPCA-Angell.  “Fortunately, we’re in a positon to help, and these cats and kittens, all friendly and highly social, are ready for new homes here in Massachusetts.”

Keiley added that it’s possible the MSPCA may transport even more animals from the LaGrange shelter in the weeks ahead.  “We’re going to try and help them lighten the load as best we can, and we’re going to do everything in our power to place these cats into loving homes,” he said.

Adopters—and Donors—Wanted!

All of the cats are bunking down at the MSPCA-Cape Cod in Centerville, Mass., which boasts newer and larger quarantine space than the organization’s two other adoption centers in Boston and Methuen.  The cats have completed their 48-hour quarantine and are ready for adoption.

Anyone interested in adopting can contact the center directly at capeadoptions@mspca.org.

The MSPCA-Angell continues to place hundreds of animals into new homes, many of whom need expensive medical care before they can be adopted.  The organization is calling on anyone who is able to support this work by donating to its Pet Care Assistance program.

“This is definitely the time to make a donation to your local animal protection organization,” said Keiley.  “Not only do we need the resources to take care of these new arrivals, but we’re also distributing hundreds of thousands of pet meals this year to vulnerable families in an effort to stave off further surrenders tied to the pandemic.”

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