Three survivors, “Giblet,” “Biscuit,” and “Hermes” to be Available for Adoption in Massachusetts
BOSTON and Salem, Mass., August 6, 2021 — Twenty dogs from coalition animal shelters in South Carolina were safely transported from the Charleston Animal Society to the Northeast Animal Shelter (NEAS) headquarters in Salem, Mass. earlier this week, in the wake of the largest ever animal cruelty case in South Carolina, the MSPCA-Angell and NEAS announced today.
Three of those dogs, Beagles Giblet and Biscuit, and Hound-mix Hermes, were seized along with more than 400 animals from a South Carolina property on July 16th, and will undergo medical treatment before they are placed into new homes.
The 17 other dogs, not tied to the cruelty case, were transported from Charleston Animal Society to make room for new arrivals, and will be available for adoption in due course.
Found emaciated and with no access to food or water, and living in enclosures filled with their own waste, Giblet, Biscuit and Hermes are lucky to be alive. But thanks to NEAS’ newly formed relocation partnership with Charleston Animal Society, the pups will get the medical care they need.
Mike Keiley, director of adoption centers and programs at the MSPCA-Angell and interim executive director at NEAS, said the recently formed partnership between NEAS and the MSPCA, and Charleston Animal Society, was put into place for situations just like this one.
“Earlier this year, the MSPCA-Angell and Northeast Animal Shelter announced an affiliation that will allow the two organizations to work together to help even more animals both locally and nationally,” said Keiley.
“To accomplish that, we’ve been working hard to expand our already robust animal relocation program by forming new partnerships with organizations — like Charleston Animal Society— to work together to increase life-saving in areas where the need is great. When we heard about this heartbreaking situation, and the dogs’ medical needs, we knew we’d be able to provide that care given the MSPCA-Angell’s medical capacity, so we stepped up to help .”
Since its inception in June, nearly 100 animals have been transported from South Carolina to Massachusetts.
The Road to Recovery… and Adoption!
Routine health exams revealed that both Biscuit and Giblet are suffering from severe dental disease, including a painful abscess in Giblet’s mouth that needs immediate removal. Both dogs were transported to the MSPCA at Nevins Farm where they will undergo dental surgery and — after a short recovery — be made available for adoption.
A mass was also discovered on Hermes’ foreleg, which will be removed and biopsied today at the time of his neuter surgery. Hermes will need a few days of rest and extra attention from shelter staff before he’s ready to be placed in a new home.
Adopters wanted!!
As the pandemic winds down, efforts to relocate pets to Massachusetts have assumed a greater urgency, underscoring just how critical the affiliation between the MSPCA and NEAS has become.
“What we saw in regions with already high animal intake in the last year was a significant reduction in pet surrender and animal control services, combined with temporary closures of shelters due to the risk of COVID-19 to shelter staffers,” said Keiley. “Simultaneously, spay and neuter services were reduced in many areas, creating a recent rise in animal populations across the country.”
These realities combined have resulted in an unprecedented increase in animal intake at shelters throughout the US, furthering the movement of even more animals to Massachusetts.
Although adoption interest is still high for both puppies and small dogs, NEAS and the MSPCA are in need of more adoptive families for our larger dogs, and those with specific needs like Giblet, Hermes and Biscuit.
Anyone interested in adopting Giblet and Biscuit can visit www.mspca.org/adopt, and anyone interested in adopting Hermes can click neas.org/adopt.