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.

Wish List

We love receiving items from our Amazon Wish List!

During the pandemic we are limited in the number of staff and volunteers on site which has limited our capacity to receive and sort our normal supply of donations. 

We ask that you please limit donations to the below key items of need.

For donations outside of the below items, please seek alternative donation locations.  

Wish List Items

• Soft dog treats (must be unopened)
• Dry and canned dog food (must be unopened)
• Dry and canned cat food (open bags okay – we share with feral cat caretakers)
• Fresh vegetables (red peppers, parsley, bananas, kale,romaine lettuce)
• Hand Sanitizer

We are closed to the general public during COVID-19 but have donation bins stationed in front of our adoption centers so you are welcome to drop items off between the hours of 7am-4pm Monday – Sunday.

Hold a Food Drive

One way you can help animals at the MSPCA is through a food drive! We will use the food you donate to support food pantries in our area.
1. Set a time frame in which to collect donations, for example one week.
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 a list of the items you are collecting and let people know 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.

Host a Lemonade Stand or Bake Sale

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!

Just be sure to email mailto: bostonhumaneed@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 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.

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!