How to Adopt

View our current list of adoptable animals on our Animal Search Page to see if there is an animal or two who might be a good fit for you. Our adoption centers have open adoption hours that are listed on the main page for each location. You are welcome to come in during our open hours. The MSPCA-Angell at Northeast Animal Shelter also offers appointments for adoptions on evenings and weekends. Our farm animals are available for adoption by appointment only.

Tips for your Search

• Make sure to read the adoption descriptions to learn more about available animals. Keep in mind, we will have more information for animals who came to us from a previous home in comparison to animals who were strays, or came from another shelter, their history may be limited (how they are with kids, other animals, house training, etc).
• Given the high demand for adoption, we ask that you be in a position to adopt within a few days of visiting or inquiring about an animal. Our goal with adoption is to find a great match and have the animal stay in care for the least amount of time possible.
• If you saw an animal on the website, in a news article, or on social media and it is no longer listed, the animal has either been adopted or we received multiple inquiries and we are processing those inquiries.
• Submitting an inquiry on an animal is not a hold, reservation, or guarantee on an animal adoption.
• For animals without special adoption needs, we tend to receive a lot of inquiries,  in most cases the first good match will adopt the animal.
• Adopting animals in high demand can be a frustrating process. We do our best to maintain as fair of a process as possible. While we receive many inquiries on available animals, the animal can only be adopted to one home, which means all other interested households will unfortunately be disappointed. We thank you for your patience and encourage you to submit an inquiry for a different animal if the first animal you inquired about was adopted to another family.
• Please note, in an effort to keep the stress levels reduced for the dogs in our care, our dog kennel areas will not be open to walk through. Interested adopters will work with a matchmaker on staff to determine which dog(s) they’re interested in – and if we can identify a match, potential adopters will be able to meet those dogs outside of the kennel. Cat and small animal areas will remain open to walk through.

Don’t See the Type of Animal You Are Interested In?

• Keep checking! Our available animals change quickly.
• We do not have an adoption wait list and are unable to notify you when a particular type of animal becomes available.
• Purebred Animals: We rarely receive purebred cats, and almost never receive purebred kittens or puppies. We very rarely receive hypoallergenic dogs. Most of our dogs are mixed breed.
• Kittens: We receive kittens most often in the warmer months – June through October.
• If you are looking for a kitten or puppy or a specific dog or cat breed, you may want to look into finding a responsible breeder. We have put together a list of things to look for when working with a breeder as well as things to look for when working with a rescue or animal welfare agency for adoption.

Estimated Adoption Fees (and what’s included)

All adoptions include adoption counseling and take home care information in addition to the below. Please note that adoption fees for individual animals may vary depending on the needs of the animals.

Equine and Farm Animals

Animal Supplies: We have most animal supplies available for sale on site. We carry an extensive line of pet food, treats, toys, collars and leashes, pet beds, and crates. Please consider shopping with us for your supplies, as 100% of the proceeds benefits the adoption center.

MSPCA Adoption Philosophy

The MSPCA believes the human-animal bond is important to promote and preserve. We seek to help potential adopters form new bonds that bring the joy and comfort of companionship for both pet and human guardian.

Our adoption program is designed to be welcoming, nonjudgmental, and free of lengthy applications. We strive to engage all prospective adopters in a conversation aimed at matching an adopter’s lifestyle, interests and home environment with an animal’s personality, medical and behavioral needs. Adopting an animal is an extraordinary opportunity to choose your newest family member.  At the MSPCA it is a great privilege for our staff and volunteers to guide that journey for adopters and animals.

As we help to build life-long relationships between adopters and the animals in our care, we also hope to build a life-long relationship between adopters and the MSPCA.  We consider our adopters to be a part of the MSPCA Family; our staff is available to offer guidance and suggestions during the pet’s transition to his or her new home and throughout the pet’s lifetime.