Frenchies, Doodles and Others Available for Adoption in Cape Cod and Salem
Centerville and Salem, Mass. Oct. 28, 2022 – 33 specialty breed dogs—including Shiba Inus, Shihtzus, French Bulldogs, Cairn Terriers and a Pomeranian—are now safe and settled in Massachusetts, after the MSPCA-Angell and Northeast Animal Shelter (NEAS) teamed with the National Mill Dog Rescue to transport them from the Midwest to New England on Oct. 27.
The flight—arranged by the Bissell Pet Foundation—arrived at Bradley International Airport in Connecticut yesterday afternoon where it was met by vans that immediately took the dogs to NEAS in Salem to serve out their state-mandated 48-hour quarantine.
The dogs had been living in commercial breeding facilities, commonly known as puppy mills. These kinds of facilities are often over-crowded, and dogs raised in these conditions are often over-bred and do not receive proper medical care and socialization.
Mike Keiley, director of adoption centers and programs at the MSPCA-Angell and executive director of the Northeast Animal Shelter reinforced that the diversity of the two organization’s programs position them to help these dogs. “Our relocation and animal care programs allow us to immediately meet the needs of animals that are in institutional systems that exploit them while our advocacy department works on long term strategies to protect animals in these systems,” he said.
Just in Time: 11th Mass. Community Bans Pet Shop Pups
The rescue comes as Attleboro Mayor Paul Heroux signed an ordinance on October 20th forbidding Attleboro pet shops from selling dogs, cats, rabbits, and guinea pigs. The measure—proposed by Heroux and unanimously approved by city councilors October 18—permits shops to offer shelter animals for adoption instead.
Pending legislation at the State House would end the puppy-mill-to-pet-shop pipeline statewide. Meantime, MSPCA Director of Advocacy Kara Holmquist says the Attleboro the measure directly benefits animals like those just arrived in Massachusetts.
“Pet shops use inhumane commercial breeding facilities to supply animals to their stores,” she explained.
“Dogs can be kept in crowded conditions without socialization. Females can be bred as early and often as possible and puppies are often taken from their mothers at very young ages, exposing them to a range of behavioral issues, and because dogs from commercial breeding facilities are often overbred or inbred, they frequently suffer from health and genetic disorders,” she added.
“Fewer animals suffer [in commercial breeding facilities] when pet shops can no longer sell them,” Holmquist added.
The MSPCA and NEAS expect high demand for the dogs. Anyone interested in adopting can monitor neas.org/adopt for adoption availability.
