Nearly a dozen dogs are resting and recuperating at the Northeast Animal Shelter (NEAS) in Salem after they were rescued from mistreatment in Horry County, South Carolina. The nine dogs arrived in Massachusetts on February 18, as part of a transport of 20 dogs from the same area.

“These dogs were living in very poor conditions,” explained MSPCA-Angell Director of Adoption Centers and Programs and NEAS Executive Director, Mike Keiley. “They were living in outdoor pens and tethered to make-shift shelters with little protection from the elements.”

Every one of the 21 dogs on the property was rescued by local authorities on January 31. The man allegedly responsible for the dogs’ mistreatment, Herbert Dozier, is being charged with 21 counts of illegal animal care and treatment, according to the Horry County Police Department.

Caring for these dogs is expected to cost more than $5,000. Those who wish to donate to help offset that cost may do so at mspca.org/horrydogs.

The dogs range in age from five-months to 10-years-old and include Beagle, Hound, and Lab mix breeds. They will be available for adoption following their state-mandated quarantine and after receiving any medical attention they may need.

Interested adopters may monitor neas.org/adopt to see when dogs will be available for adoption.

Thirty two cats are safe and settling in at the Northeast Animal Shelter (NEAS) in Salem following their transport from the Darlington Humane Society in Darlington, South Carolina, the MSPCA-Angell and NEAS announced today. The cats arrived at NEAS on January 28.

The transport is the first from Darlington as part of a new mentorship with the MSPCA and NEAS, one intended to bring more animals in need of homes to Massachusetts while also improving the lives of animals in South Carolina.

“Expanding our mentorship program was a natural next step after the success we’ve had over the past year with Berkeley,” said MSPCA-Angell Director of Adoption Centers and Programs and NEAS Executive Director Mike Keiley, referencing the organizations’ mentoring of the Berkeley Animal Center in Moncks Corner, South Carolina.

“But there’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to working to end animal homelessness,” he elaborated. “In Berkeley, we spent a lot of time sharing our experiences addressing the free-roaming cat population in Massachusetts to help them on the path to similar success. But with Darlington we’re sharing ideas and tactics to help manage a large and increasing number of homeless animals.”

The cats range in age from five-months to two-years old and will be available for adoption following their state-mandated 48-hour quarantine and after they’ve received any medical care they may need. Interested adopters may monitor neas.org/adopt.

Dollie was a typical four-month-old Munchkin kitten in late November, preparing for her first holiday season with her family, when she unexpectedly started feeling quite ill. Her symptoms were vague at first; she just wasn’t acting like a normal, playful kitten should. Then, things took a turn. Dollie developed changes to her skin and ears that her family just could not ignore, so they brought her to the MSPCA-Angell in Boston.

“When Dollie came to us, her ears were sloughing, and they actually did fall off,” explained Mike Keiley, MSPCA-Angell director of adoption centers and programs. “Parts of her skin were necrotic – the skin was dying. It impacted her extremities, including her tail, legs, and most of her ear tissue. We had never seen anything like it.”

It took collaboration across Angell’s network of specialists to finally diagnose Dollie’s illness—and not a second too soon.

“When my team came to Boston to examine Dollie, I saw severe skin sloughing and necrosis, especially around areas with poor circulation like the extremities,” said Dr. Meagan Painter, a dermatology specialist at MSPCA-Angell West in Waltham. “This is typical for a problem called ischemic dermatopathy, which is usually caused by a reaction to something in the body that leads to widespread inflammation.”

Painter added, “This reaction can lead to tissue death in sensitive areas, like the ear tips and paws. In Dollie’s case, it was quite severe, and she is a lucky little cat to have found her way to us.” Although Dollie has recovered, it remains unclear what triggered such a reaction.

Dollie has found adopters, and went home.