First-Ever All-Species Event Includes Animals That Have Been in Shelters at Least 30 Days
BOSTON, Feb. 11, 2026 – The MSPCA-Angell and several shelters throughout Massachusetts will soon waive adoption fees for all animals in their care who have been waiting a little longer to find their perfect matches, the organizations announced today.
It marks the first time ever in its more than 150-year history that the MSPCA-Angell has suspended fees for all species in a single event.
“The majority of our events in the past year have focused on dogs, which makes sense given the capacity challenges we and our shelter partners often have,” explained Jamie Garabedian, project manager in the MSPCA-Angell’s Animal Protection Division.
“That’s still a reality, but recently—whether through Law Enforcement activity, owner surrender, or out-of-state transport—we’ve also seen more variety of animals come through our doors, and capacity across the board is tight,” she said, noting that a regularly scheduled cat transport from ACCT Philly on February 10 was doubled to help the shelter handle a recent large intake.
“Given that we always want to have the space and ability to answer the call whenever animals need help, we thought it made sense to do something different—and quite frankly ambitious—by waiving fees for all species.”
“And what better time than Valentine’s Day when people are already thinking about finding their perfect match!” she added.
Worth the Wait—A Special Adoption Event
The adoptathon takes place Friday, February 13 through Sunday, February 15 during open hours at all four MSPCA-Angell shelters (in Boston, Methuen, Salem, and Centerville on Cape Cod), as well as Lowell Humane Society, Baypath Humane Society, and Thomas J. O’Connor Animal Control & Adoption Center (TJO).
The event is called Worth the Wait because all animals that have been in shelters 30 days or longer are eligible.
“The shelter environment is stressful for a lot of animals—regardless of everything we do to keep them happy—so the longer they’re with us, the worse off their wellbeing is,” Garabedian expounded. “Not to mention the fact that they’re taking up space that will always be needed for a future animal.”
“All of the pets in our care are equally worthy of finding homes where they’ll get the love and attention they deserve,” she added.
Hours vary by location. More information may be found at mspca.org/feewaived.
