When we heard about the tornadoes that touched down in Kentucky in December 2021, staff immediately reached out to local shelters in the area to offer support. The MSPCA-Angell and our affiliate, Northeast Animal Shelter (NEAS), took in 100 cats from the Kentucky Humane Society (KHS) in Louisville, KY, within three days.

As the adoption center worked to meet the medical needs of the cats and place them into new loving homes, the MSPCA-Angell reached out to KHS to see if they had any additional needs since the initial aftermath of the disaster.

KHS was working hard to transfer all adoptable dogs and cats to relocation partners to make room to temporarily house pets of owners affected by the storm. But due to limited veterinary staffing and the scale of the disaster, they were struggling to meet the medical requirements needed before adoptable animals could be transported across state lines. Dr. Shelby Brown, veterinarian at the MSPCA-Angell Clinic at Nevins Farm, flew down to Louisville to assist on site. Over the next two days, Dr. Brown performed exams and provided medical care to animals, including 17 dogs she cleared to travel to NEAS in Salem, MA.

Two of the dogs that made their way up from Kentucky were Riggs, a 10-month-old Great Pyrenees, and Honey, a 2-year-old Australian Shepherd. Just days after arriving in New England, they both found homes with loving families.