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Stronger Together: How the Massachusetts Animal Shelter Support (MASS) Coalition Elevates Animal Welfare Across Massachusetts

Neal Litvack, MSPCA-Angell President

Animal shelters across the country — including right here in Massachusetts — continue to face unprecedented challenges: a decrease in animal relocations, longer lengths of stay, staffing shortages in veterinary medicine, and reduced access to affordable care.

To address these complex, statewide issues, the MSPCA-Angell led the creation of the Massachusetts Animal Shelter Support (MASS) Coalition, a collaborative effort with five other local shelters to improve animal welfare through shared knowledge, strategic coordination, and mutual support. The MSPCA-Angell uses its expertise to help increase adoptions in partner shelters, while also helping them address individual needs in their areas. This level of coordination makes it possible to tackle challenges more effectively and with more impact.

The MASS Coalition includes the MSPCA-Angell’s shelters (Boston, Methuen, Cape Cod, and Salem), the City of Boston Animal Care and Control, Berkshire Humane Society, Dakin Humane Society, Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control and Adoption Center, and the Worcester Animal Rescue League.

Since the Coalition’s launch in July 2024, we have:

• Extended our Community Outreach program into Springfield to reduce disease outbreaks, increase access to affordable veterinary care, and help keep people and pets together
• Helped to equip and staff a monthly low-cost, high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter (HQHVSN) clinic in Springfield to help with animal overpopulation
• Provided behavior support from our adoption center behavior experts to all five organizations
• Increased dog adoptions by reducing barriers to adoption and developing a series of adoption events
• Took in, treated, and adopted out animals in Coalition shelters who had medical needs that the shelters would not be able to address on their own
• Extended program support for operational best practices and volunteer programming at all five organizations
• Extended the foster network that supports animals at all MASS organizations

Looking ahead, the future of the MASS Coalition is focused on deeper coordination and even stronger results. We’re formalizing the collaboration — planning, meetings, resource-sharing — but we want our partner shelters to remain independent. The goal of the MASS Coalition is to help partner shelters optimize their results. At a time when many shelters are struggling, the MASS Coalition is a resourceful way to extend care, improve outcomes, and save more lives, not alone but together.

Modernized Pathology Lab and In-House Boarding Unveiled

Ann Marie Greenleaf, DVM, DACVECC-SA
Chief of Staff, Angell Animal Medical Center

Our commitment to innovate and evolve to serve the needs of our patients, clients, and staff has inspired significant changes. I’m excited to share two important updates happening at the MSPCA-Angell. In August, we will open the doors to our new, state-of-the-art, in-house pathology lab. This long-overdue upgrade coincides with our other big news: the launch of in-house healthy boarding and grooming services. This service is separate and complementary to Angell’s medical boarding service. These projects reflect our ongoing dedication to providing best-in-class care while making every interaction more efficient, comfortable, and connected.

The New Pathology Lab Is Almost Here

Angell Animal Medical Center is nearing completion of a major upgrade: a new, modern clinical pathology lab designed to meet the needs of a growing hospital. Located on the first floor, the lab will be fully operational by the end of August 2025, pending the arrival of a generator and fire pump.

The former lab was more than 50 years old, located in the basement (“garden level”), and couldn’t accommodate the technology we need today. We were limited by space, infrastructure, and even safety concerns. It was clear we had to build something new.

A key driver of the renovation is the MALDI system (matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization), which identifies bacteria through DNA analysis in minutes. That piece of equipment just couldn’t fit in the old lab.

Demand for diagnostic services has surged since the 2022 opening of Angell’s modernized Emergency and Critical Care Unit. The lab also processes samples for Angell West, Angell at Essex, and the MSPCA-Angell Community Clinic in Boston.

The new space is built for capacity, efficiency, and safety, with updated electrical and HVAC systems and expanded bench space for a previously crowded staff. And the layout also improves workflow, with microbiology, histology, and offices on one side, and the main lab and blood bank on the other. The necropsy lab remains in the basement, supporting city and law
enforcement investigations.

New Boarding and Grooming Services Coming to MSPCA-Angell

The MSPCA-Angell is pleased to announce the upcoming launch of in-house
boarding and grooming services for Angell clients. The new space was built
alongside our recently expanded Critical Care Unit on the second floor above
the hospital wards. It is designed to provide a comfortable, safe experience for
pets and peace of mind for their owners.

We’re focused on building a program that reflects the same level of care
and professionalism clients have come to expect from Angell, and having a
veterinary hospital on-site sets us apart from similar services in the city of
Boston. While the hospital is separate from the boarding and grooming areas,
we’re prepared if pets need medical attention during their stay. Boarding clients
will have opportunities for additional enrichment and personalized attention to
fit their pets’ needs. Grooming will focus on wellness and creating a positive
experience for pets and owners.

We are fortunate to have Brielle Friedman manage the Boarding and Grooming
service. Brielle managed a multi-location boarding and grooming business in
Florida for 12 years. She expects the boarding service to open later this summer.
Our new groomer, Charlotte Gale, comes to us with five years of grooming
experience and is also a previous Angell employee, having worked in Angell’s
Diagnostic Imaging service in 2019.

Clients who have visited non-emergency/non-urgent Angell services in the
past year will be eligible to book boarding and services. Appointments will be
available to book online or directly by phone, offering flexibility and personal
service.

Celebrating Dr. Neil Harpster

Douglas Brum, DVM (Intern Class of ʼ86)
Joel Kaye, DVM (Intern Class of ’91)
Angell Alumni Co-Directors

The ACVIM Specialty Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes prominent veterinary leaders who have made significant contributions in each of the six ACVIM specialties. Neil K. Harpster, VMD, DACVIM (Cardiology), former director of the Cardiology service at Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston, received the Specialty Lifetime Achievement Award for cardiology in June 2024.

The MSPCA-Angell has undoubtedly had its share of veterinarians who have become legends in the field of veterinary medicine. University professors, researchers, cutting-edge clinicians, lecturers, prolific authors, and innovators in new techniques in medicine and surgery, have all been a part of the 110-year history of the hospital. Some of these veterinarians have served as Angell staff doctors, and others were interns and residents who graduated and went on to other institutions and hospitals. Having been at Angell for 40 years, I know that many of these doctors have shaped me into a better veterinarian. However, one of the most influential veterinarians, for me, and to the veterinary community in general, is Dr. Neil Harpster.

For those of us lucky enough to work with Neil, I could stop right here, and all the memories would come back. But a little history is in order for those who never had the privilege of knowing him.

Neil worked at the MSPCA-Angell for over 40 years. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in 1965, he interned at MSPCA Rowley Memorial in Springfield, MA. Afterwards, he joined the staff at Angell Boston and was the heart of the hospital for the next 40 years. He was “a true veterinarian’s veterinarian.” He came to Angell in the days before specialty colleges and was gifted in all aspects of being a veterinarian. He was one who could help with any medical case. He did his own surgeries (from PDAs to splenectomies), saw referrals, emergencies, and had a huge, extremely loyal clientele.

However, with all his expertise, Neil’s true passion was cardiology. In the early days of his career, he was a cardiologist before there were echocardiograms. He would diagnose specific heart disease with an ECG, radiographs, and a physical exam. I remember one of my overnight shifts with a dog whom I was worried about having pericardial effusion. Of course, Neil was still at the hospital, and an hour later, we performed a pneumopericardiogram, removed the pericardial fluid, and diagnosed a right atrial mass.

Ask any Angell intern over Neil’s tenure, and they will have had experiences like this. He was always there for the interns. He was the clinician who could always be counted on when you needed him, even if it was at midnight. He helped countless interns survive another day.

When the ER list got busy, he would even take the emergency cases himself. And not just cardiology issues — he would take whatever was next, whatever the problem.

Neil trained nearly 400 interns and started the cardiology residency program. All nine of the cardiology residents he trained became boarded.

But no story about Neil would be complete without a mention of his handwriting. There were three people in the hospital who could actually read his medical records, so if he was not in the hospital, these people were really needed; otherwise, we had problems. His extremely loyal clients could only look at us blankly, trying to figure out what medication their pet was taking!

Starting in 2021, the ACVIM began awarding a lifetime achievement award. This past year, Dr. Neil Harpster was awarded the lifetime achievement award in cardiology. Neil was recognized as one of the pioneers in veterinary cardiology and one of the first to pursue specialization when specialty medicine was in its infancy. He was additionally noted for his legendary dedication to his clients, animals, and colleagues. To all of us who know him, the award comes as no surprise. No one is more deserving.

Unfortunately, Neil could not make the formal presentation at the ACVIM last June, but a few of us, including most of the cardiologists he trained, met Neil for lunch, and we did our own presentations. People came from all over the country and even Canada to share in the event. It was great spending time with him again, telling stories and hearing him laugh. For those of us there, it was a day we will always cherish.

Thank you, Neil, for your expertise, teaching, compassion, and dedication to all of us you trained, all the clients you served, and all the animals you helped. You made a big difference in the lives of so many and helped shape veterinary medicine for the future. You are one of a kind and will always be in our hearts!

Written by Dr. Doug Brum

Looking Back: An Intern Year in Review

Alanna Horton, DVM (Intern Class of 2025

I remember Orientation Week — early lectures where a steady parade of strangers introduced us to the MSPCA-Angell’s history and the operating procedures we’d need to learn. The common refrain was this: “This will be the hardest year of your life. But we hope you already knew that.” While no one entered this internship naive, many left those first sessions feeling more nervous than previously expected, especially after the fifth (or tenth) pitying glance. It is hard to overstate how much we’ve changed since that day and grown as doctors and friends. And yes, beware — it’s going to get sappy from here.

We entered this program with a shared goal: to learn as much as possible and prepare ourselves for the next steps in our veterinary careers. I can say, without a doubt, that we achieved that. Though often stressful, our ER shifts were invaluable learning opportunities, allowing us to build our knowledge base and gain real confidence in physical exam and communication skills. Critical Care Unit (CCU) shifts taught us how to place nasogastric (NG) tubes, tap abdomens and chests, and unblock cats until we could do it with our eyes closed. I loved being part of the stabilization efforts and codes when STATs came through the door. Regardless of the procedure, my classmates always rose to the challenge.

One of the most rewarding parts of this year was becoming friends with my incredible internmates. It’s not easy spending most of your waking (and sleeping) hours at work for an entire year, but it was made infinitely better knowing my best friends were with me. Whether it was 3 am food orders, Vocera pranks, or daily camaraderie, we found ways to keep each other going. I always knew I had someone to lean on after a tough case, and, more importantly, people showed up for each other outside of the hospital walls. Life doesn’t stop for an internship; many of us had personal challenges to face alongside the professional ones. Our group showed what’s possible when veterinary medicine values hard work and creates an environment where we help each other prioritize family and mental health.

Even though our internship was heavily ER-focused, our class was full of diverse interests, which speaks volumes about our collective desire to be well-rounded doctors. I’m so proud of my classmates heading into general medicine, critical care, cardiology, radiology, internal medicine, neurology, oncology, surgery, emergency/critical care, and exotics. As most of my internmates leave the MSPCA-Angell and start new adventures, I hope everyone carries the clinical skills we’ve honed and the deep sense of community and resilience we built together. No matter where our paths lead, I know this year will remain one of the most formative chapters in our lives. I can’t wait to see what everyone accomplishes next.

2025 Graduation
Memorable Photos
Angell Intern Class of 2016 – Where are they now?
Future Plans: Class of 2025
Incoming Interns, Specialty Interns, and Residents