The New Arrivals from Tennessee, Texas, and Kentucky Are Among More than 4,100 Transported by Two Organizations in 2022
BOSTON and Salem, Mass. Dec. 28, 2022 – The MSPCA-Angell and Northeast Animal Shelter (NEAS) are eager to place dozens of newly arrived cats and dogs into new homes early in 2023, a challenge made even more pressing after dozens of cats and dogs from Tennessee, Texas, and Kentucky landed on December 27 in Massachusetts.
The animals—16 cats from the SPCA of Texas in Dallas, Texas and the Athens Animal Rescue Shelter in Athens, Texas, as well as 23 dogs from the Humane Educational Society in Chattanooga, Tennessee and the Menifee County Animal Shelter in Frenchburg, Kentucky—had been living in overcrowded shelters but have settled comfortably into the Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem, where they will remain until they can be adopted.
A Historic Year for Animal Relocation
The new arrivals are just a subset of the more than 4,100 cats and dogs that the MSPCA and NEAS have transported to Massachusetts in 2022 from states including Florida, South Carolina, and Kentucky—a more than 10% increase over 2021, when the two first announced their affiliation.
“Joining with NEAS allowed us to make huge progress toward our ultimate goal of ending animal homelessness,” explained Mike Keiley, MSPCA-Angell director of adoption centers and programs and NEAS executive director. “Combining our resources has enabled us to help so many more animals in Massachusetts while also bringing our spay and neuter—and other veterinary care—expertise directly to the regions in the country most in need.”
Spotlight: Berkeley Animal Center
In 2022, the MSPCA and NEAS began mentoring the Berkeley Animal Center in Berkeley, South Carolina—helping staff there launch a full-scale Trap, Neuter, Vaccinate and Release (TVNR) program, while also transporting animals out of the overcrowded shelter to Massachusetts, where they were able to find new loving homes. The clinic the two organizations helped establish has spayed and neutered more than 1,100 cats since April, a major milestone for animal welfare in the Berkeley area.
Home for the New Year
The newly arrived cats and dogs will be available for adoption after their 48-hour state-mandated quarantine and after they receive any medical care they may need. Those interested in adopting may monitor neas.org/adopt to see when they will become available.
Some of the dogs will be available for adoption at a discounted fee as part of the MSPCA and NEAS Home for the Holidays adoption campaign, in which all dogs aged one year and older are available for adoption for $100—a savings of at least $250—during the month of December. More information about the event may be found here.
Help the MSPCA Transport More Animals in 2023
This year, the MSPCA was able to save thousands of animals from languishing in shelters in other parts of the country where there are fewer adoptive homes by bringing them to Massachusetts, where adoptive homes are more plentiful. Next year, the organization hopes to build on this momentum by transporting even more cats and dogs. Those interested in donating to help make that happen may do so at www.mspca.org/match.
