“Scared but Friendly” Arrivals Settling in; Shelter Teams Plan Adoptions before Thanksgiving

BOSTON and Salem, Mass., Nov. 4, 2021 – Ten dogs rescued from a massive animal cruelty case in Arkansas are now safe after teams from the MSPCA-Angell and Northeast Animal Shelter (NEAS) drove to Tennessee on Monday, Nov. 1, loaded them into a van and drove them to the Bay State, where they arrived yesterday.

The new arrivals are among 280 dogs and 100 cats found living in deplorable conditions at the Humane Society of the Delta in Helena, Arkansas, which was shut down by state officials last week following a police raid that uncovered dead and emaciated dogs, a huge rat infestation, and mountains of trash.  The shelter’s director is facing hundreds of animal cruelty charges.

Coalition Effort to Save “Scared, Skinny but Friendly” Dogs

The 10 dogs taken in by the MSPCA and NEAS are Pit Bulls aged from three to six years, and appear to be healthy overall.  They, along with hundreds of others, were first evacuated from the Arkansas shelter on Oct. 23 and taken to the Animal Rescue Corps in Tennessee.

A coalition of regional animal welfare organizations then worked together to save the animals, including the Humane Society of Tulsa, Cabot Animal Services in Cabot, Arkansas, the Nashville Humane Society, Arkansas Pet Savers, and the Humane Society of Independence County in Batesville, Arkansas.  Moreover, the BISSELL Pet Foundation provided logistics support as well as funding and emergency grants for some animals who required surgery and heartworm treatment.

Mike Keiley, director of adoption centers and programs for both NEAS and the MSPCA-Angell, says the teams arrived just in time.

“These dogs absolutely needed a safe place to land as soon as they were out of the Arkansas shelter, and I’m grateful to the other humane organizations who assisted with the rescue and relocation efforts,” he said.

“The 10 dogs in our care are quite friendly and social despite all they’ve gone through, but given the trauma they’ve endured, we’ll need ‘hero’ adopters willing to work patiently with them to help them adapt to their home lives,” added Keiley.

HERO Adopters Needed!

The dogs will serve out their mandatory 48-hour quarantine at NEAS’ Salem facility before some will be moved to the MSPCA at Nevins Farm in Methuen and the MSPCA-Cape Cod in Centerville.  The dogs will be available for adoption the week of Nov. 8, and anyone interested in adopting can visit neas.org/adopt for more information, or to apply.

Support the Animals!

The new arrivals are just some of the thousands of animals the MSPCA will care for in 2021 alone—both inside and outside its adoption centers.  Readers who would like to offset the cost of their care—and the care of animals just like them—can click www.neas.org/arkansasdogs to make a donation.

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