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.

Each adoption center’s open hours are posted on its main page. We’d love for you to visit during any of those times. You do not need an appointment or pre-application to come in for any animals, except farm animals, which are available for adoption by appointment only.

MSPCA-Boston

Boston

350 South Huntington Ave, Jamaica Plain
Hours: Tuesday–Sunday, 12pm–4pm

MSPCA-Cape Cod

Centerville

1577 Falmouth Road, Centerville
Hours: Tuesday–Sunday, 1pm–4pm

MSPCA at Nevins Farm

Methuen

400 Broadway, Methuen
Hours: Tuesday–Sunday, 12pm–4:30pm

Northeast Animal Shelter

Salem

347 Highland Avenue, Salem, MA
Hours: Tuesday–Sunday 11:30-5

Adoption Fees

Dogs

Adolescent Dogs (under 1 year of age) | $595 adoption fee
Adult Dog (1 year – 9 years) | $500 adoption fee
Senior Dog (10 years and older) | $350 adoption fee

Spay/Neuter Surgery
Rabies Vaccine (for dogs 12 weeks and older)
DHPP (Distemper/Parvo) Vaccine
Bordetella Vaccination (Kennel Cough)
Initial General Deworming
Heartworm Test
Microchip Implantation & Registration
Identification Tag
Flea & Tick Treatment or Preventive
Initial treatment for Ear Mites as Needed
Training classes may be included for individual dogs that we believe will benefit from training post adoption.

You can purchase a leash and collar for your adopted dog at the Adoption Center or you can bring one with you.

Cats and Kittens

Kitten (under 1 year) | $400 adoption fee
Adult Cat (1 year -9 years old) | $250 adoption fee
Senior Cat (10 years and older) | $100 adoption fee

Spay or Neuter Surgery
FVRCP Vaccine
Rabies Vaccination (for cats 12 weeks and older)
Initial General Deworming
FeLV Test
Microchip & Registration
Flea Treatment or Preventive
Initial treatment for Ear Mites as Needed

You can purchase a cat carrier, collar and ID tag at the Adoption Center or you can bring one with you.

Small Animals and Birds

Rabbits | $85 adoption fee, Pair: $135 adoption fee (includes spay/neuter)
Ferrets | $80 adoption fee (includes Rabies Vaccine)
Chinchillas | $50 adoption fee
Guinea pigs | $30 adoption fee
Mice, Rats, Gerbils, Hamsters, Degus, etc. | $15 adoption fee

Birds & Exotics

Small Birds | $15 adoption fee(Parakeets, Finches, Canaries, Doves, etc)
Medium Sized Birds | $40 adoption fee (Cockatiels, Lovebirds, etc)
Small Parrots | $125 adoption fee (Conures, Quaker Parrots, etc)
Large Parrots | $250 adoption fee (Macaws, Cockatoos, African Greys, etc.)
*Adoption fees will be reduced when adopting pairs or small groups of birds

Many housing units sold in pet stores are too small for the specific specie’s behavioral and medical needs. If you need to purchase housing, visit best housing for small animals and the best housing for birds. We ask that you have a housing unit purchased before coming in for an adoption appointment.

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 benefit the adoption center.

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.

For Equine and Farm Animals Adoption Fees

Click Here

I don’t see the type of animal I am 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.

Farm Animal Adoption

The process for adopting farm animals is a bit different – visit our Farm Animal Adoptions Page for more information!

Dog kennel areas will not be open to walk through

In an effort to keep stress at a minimum 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 visitors.

Is the animal I want available?

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 no longer accepting additional inquiries.

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.

Two dogs sitting together, the one on the right has dark brown and white fur and the other has tan and white fur

Behavioral Resources for Adopted Pets

Learn more about how to make your first few weeks with your adopted pet the most successful it can be!

Learn More

View Our Adoptable Animals

Browse our adoptable animal listings from all MSPCA shelters to get an idea of which animals are currently waiting for a new home, and to learn more about them.

Search Pets

Our Commitment to People and Animals in Community Together

The MSPCA proudly supports the People and Animals in Community Together movement. We are focused on providing the best outcomes for all animals.

Our Responsibilities:

Ensure every pet has a safe place to go for shelter and care. We are committed to supporting each animals’ access to the Five Freedoms.
Place every healthy and safe animal. MSPCA assesses the needs of each animal on an individual basis, providing behavioral support, medical care, foster services, transfer opportunities, and more. We do not euthanize animals due to time or space.
Assess the medical and behavioral needs of animals and ensure their needs are thoughtfully met. Our expert staff teams of medical, behavioral, and sheltering staff support the unique and individualized needs of each animal in our care, and collaborate to ensure they receive the best possible care.
Alleviate suffering and make appropriate euthanasia decisions. The MSPCA works together to consider the best possible outcomes for each pet, including euthanasia for animals who are suffering behavioral or medical challenges that cannot be managed, treated, prevent companionship, or are irrecoverably painful. We are also committed to keeping the pets and people of our community safe.
Align policy with the needs of our community. The MSPCA works alongside our communities, as well as neighboring animal welfare organizations to identify service gaps and support local animals, in addition to our consideration of regional and national transfer partners.
Consider the health and wellness of each animal and each community when transferring animals. Our robust transfer program makes thoughtful choices to support our neighbors and our partners. We seek to build efficiency in transfer decisions and minimize the stress and impact of transfer on the animals.
Enhance the connections humans and animals share through thoughtful placement and post-adoption support. MSPCA works hard to find great matches for people and pets and offers supportive care when needed for animals adopted from the MSPCA.
Foster a culture of transparency, ethical decision making, mutual respect, continual learning, and collaboration. Our teams work across departments, organizations, and communities to ensure questions, and concerns are addressed openly and honestly, accurate information is shared, learning is encouraged, and we evolve to meet the emerging needs of the animals and our community. We openly report all statistics and reporting, including participation in Shelter Animals Count.

For more information visit: theaawa.org/pact.

Read our statement of belief on the euthanasia of shelter animals and our answer to the no kill movement

The MSPCA is a partner member of Shelter Animals Count

Shelter Animals Count is a collaborative national animal welfare community committed to the sharing and streamlining of shelter data and promotion of the importance of data evaluation.

Founded in 2011, Shelter Animals Count is enabling a greater understanding of the animal welfare movement’s progress in saving companion animals’ lives and preventing pet homelessness. The Shelter Animals Count database collects shelter data for accurate counting of animals entering and leaving shelters on state, regional, and national levels. Through the use of their robust database, Shelter Animals Count has created standardized reporting and definitions for shelter statistics including, intakes, adoptions, return-to-owner, transfers, and euthanasia. The transparent reporting of this information allows organizations, like MSPCA, to compare data with that of other organizations, regions, as well as national trends, and develop strategies and innovative solutions based upon data analytics and collaborative efforts.

The MSPCA provides monthly statistics to the Shelter Animals Count database, reviews trends, and develops sustainable strategies through data evaluation. Through our participation and membership of Shelter Animals Count, MSPCA is able to expand our collaborative work to identify more ways to save more animals’ lives.

Introduction