Ways to Help – Boston Adoption Center

There are many ways to help the animals at the MSPCA-Boston Animal Care and Adoption Center.

Boston General Fund

Help the animals in Boston every day by making a donation to the Boston adoption center.

Cage Sponsorship

Help defray the cost of caring for animals at the Boston Adoption Center by sponsoring their housing – we will honor your sponsorship with a plaque on a cage/kennel of your choice.

Spike’s Fund

Help us provide medical care to sick and injured animals who cannot care for themselves. See some of the animals we have helped through Spike’s Fund.

Wishlist

Donations from our wishlist are always needed and greatly appreciated! You can drop off your donations at the MSPCA Boston Adoption Center.

We always need:

Blankets, towels, sheets, soft bedding

For the Dogs

• Training Treats
• Interactive/hard to destroy toys (Nyla Bones, Buster Cubes, Jolly Balls, Tough Toys,
  rope toys, etc.)
• String cheese, Kong Cheese Filler, hot dogs, beef or chicken broth
• D.A.P. (calming scent release for dogs)

For the Cats

• Toys (wands, play mice, etc)
• Dry and canned cat food (open bags okay – we share with low income owners and feral cat caretakers)
• Feliway (calming scent release for cats)
• Cat beds
• Stretch and Scratchers
• Cat carriers

 For the rabbits and small mammals

• Toys for rabbits, birds, and small animals
• Fresh vegetables (red peppers, parsley, bananas and apples-please NO leafy greens)
• Wooden toys or houses
• Highback litterboxes (pictured to the right)
• Timothy hay
• Carefresh pet bedding

Miscellaneous supplies

• Used Pack and Plays (great for kittens and puppies!)
• Hand sanitizer
• Bleach
• Dishwashing soap
• Pens
• Paper towels
• Office supplies

We do not accept

• Medications other than frontline and heartguard
• Pillows or comforters
• Newspapers

Hold a Supply Drive

One way you can help animals at the MSPCA is through donation supply drives. It takes hundreds of pounds of food and supplies to feed and care for the many animals the MSPCA takes in each year. We are always in need of the items from our wish list, as well as monetary donations to help us purchase equipment and supplies to keep the animals warm, fed, and healthy.
1. Set a time frame in which to collect donations, for example give it a week or a month.
2. Decorate posters and collection boxes to be displayed at your school, church, or community center. Be sure to get permission to put the collection boxes in the places you choose.
3. Distribute copies of the MSPCA’s wish list to people telling them where they can drop off their items and why the drive is important.
4. Wait for the items to start rolling in!
5. Be sure to nicely remind people about your drive throughout the time frame.
When your drive is over, drop everything off at the Boston MSPCA. Make sure to check www.mspca.org/boston for hours and directions. We can take a picture of you when you drop off all that you have collected for the animals and post it on our website!

Host a Lemonade Stand or Bake Sale

We have an awesome stand ready for you to use! You can set it up near our Adoption Center entrance. Just bring their own cups and lemonade (and maybe even baked goods!). You will be able to see the animals up for adoption and see how things work at the shelter at the same time. It’s a fun way to raise money for the animals! We also have a cider stand and a hot chocolate stand for different seasons! Learn more.

Go on an Adoption Quest

Choose a shelter cat or dog and help them get adopted by telling your friends and family about them. Share their picture on Facebook, put out flyers around your local markets and libraries – get creative! When your animal gets adopted we will send you a picture of the animal with their new adopter! Just be sure to email bostonvolunteer@mspca.org to let us know about your efforts! If you know someone who needs advice on adopting a pet or information on pet care, encourage them to visit our website and our adoption center. They can also view pictures of our animals up for adoption online!

Post Flyers About Adoption Events

We always need help posting flyers for our adoption events and spay/neuter promotions in towns and cities around the Boston area. There are many animals in under-served areas that need our help, and you can take part in getting the word out! Volunteer groups can pick up a packet of flyers and go to town! Email bostonvolunteer@mspca.org and we can send you some flyers!

Dress up in a Dog or Cat Costume at our Special Events

Throughout the year we host special fundraising events where we ask folks to dress up in our mascot costumes (see attached picture) and raise donations outside our adoption center – you must be accompanied by an adult to participate – email bostonvolunteer@mspca.org to sign up to join our mascot list receive emails as events are scheduled.

Make Blankets for Animals

One basic need of our animals is a comfortable and safe place to stay during their time at the adoption center. These fleece blankets will provide comfort and warmth for some lucky animals!

To make a blanket:

1. Cut two rectangles of fleece that are 17 to 18 inches wide by 28 to 29 inches long.
2. Lay one rectangle on top of the other so they completely overlap.
3. Cutting through both layers, cut a 3-inch square out of each corner, and discard them.
4. Cut slits 3 inches long by approximately 3/4 inch wide along all four sides. Make the cuts as even as you can. This will look like fringe.
5. Tie individual fringes together, top layer fringe to bottom layer fringe, using double knots. To make it easier, you can skip tying every other fringe.

Create a Cat Toy

Want to make some cats really happy?  This nifty, thrifty toy is a fun classroom project.  Not only is this imitation butterfly easy to put together, the materials are readily available.  You can give the entire batch directly to your shelter or have a sale and donate the proceeds.

Here’s What You’ll Need to Create Each Toy:

•  1 yard of heavy flexible stainless wire (you can find it in a hardware store)
• Wooden chopstick or dowel
• Masking tape
• 2 to 3 inch long ribbon, cloth or twine

Here’s What You Do:

1. Securely wrap one end of the wire around the chopstick or dowel.  Then cover the wire with masking tape.  This will become the toy’s handle.
2. Tie the ribbon or twine onto the other end of the wire.
3. Slowly twirl the handle between your fingers.  Sort of looks alive, doesn’t it?   Because it mimics the motion of a cat’s prey, a kitty will pounce and stalk and sail through the air to “capture” it.
Courtesy of the APSCA’s Animal Land Website http://www.animaland.org/

Dog Biscuit Bake Sale

Selling homemade dog cookies is a yummy way to help the animals. After baking, package the cookies in bags with colorful ribbon to sell them to your neighbors or at local dog parks. The MSPCA can provide informational brochures to give out along with the cookies, so people can learn about the MSPCA at the same time. Be creative with the packaging or give the cookies a holiday theme (like Valentine’s Day) to make them more fun and festive.
Find a healthy dog cookie recipe on the Internet, at the library or use the following:

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup cornmeal
6 tablespoons oil
2/3 cups water
1 cup peanut butter (optional)
Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Roll dough to about 1/2 inch thick, then cut out shapes using your favorite cookie cutters. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees. (Recipe courtesy of the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA)

Other Quick Ways to Help!

• Let your purchasing dollars be heard!  Don’t shop at stores that sell pets.  Let the stores that only sell supplies know you appreciate them.
• If you know someone who needs advice on adopting a pet, information on pet care, or any other animal issues, have them call the adoption center.
• If you see an animal being abused or neglected, call your local animal control officer or the MSPCA’s Law Enforcement Department for help.
• Put posters up at local stores, your school, or place of worship about how to help animals in your community.
• Organize a “Pennies for Pets” program.  Collect the money in a canister or jar you create and donate it to the shelter.
• Do your part to end overpopulation by having your pet spayed or neutered.  Tell other people to do the same.
• When thinking of adding a pet to your family, adopt!  Whether it is a hamster, iguana, rabbit, cat, or dog, adoption centers have a wide variety of animals looking for loving homes like yours!