MSPCA-Angell Caring for Sweet Pea and Sunshine until the Right Adopter Steps Forward
BOSTON, July 23, 2020 – Two magnificent English Mastiff dogs found themselves in double trouble when a family member’s illness resulted in their surrender to the MSPCA-Angell’s Boston adoption center in Jamaica Plain on July 13th, and now the pair—both eight years old—are in need of a new home together.
Sisters “Sweet Pea” and “Sunshine” are described as social, friendly and active and seem to enjoy the company of other dogs and people. Among the largest breed of dogs recognized by the American Kennel Club, English Mastiffs can reach two and a half feet in height and weigh as much as 250 lbs.
Seeing Double!
English Mastiffs are as rare as they are tall: Sweet Pea and Sunshine are the only two of their kind that the MSPCA has had available for adoption since 2018.
“A single surrender is rare enough, but having two of these magnificent dogs arrive from the same home is almost unheard of—and we’re very hopeful that there’s a special adopter out there who can take them both in, so we can keep these two together,” said Anna Rafferty-Arnold, associate director of the MSPCA-Angell’s Boston adoption center.
What makes Sweet Pea and Sunshine’s relationship so special, however, is their especially close bond. “We know from the surrender interview process that the two are so close that when their former owner would speak with one, the other would howl for attention in the background,” said Anna Rafferty-Arnold.
Rafferty-Arnold said that the pair’s bond expressed in full force once again when Sweet Pea experienced some minor stomach upset upon arrival at the shelter. “We kept them apart for a couple of days to allow Sweet Pea to recover and it was clear, as soon as we re-introduced the two, that they adore each other,” she said.
The pair are now housed together in the adoption center while awaiting a new home.
Readers interested in adoption can email adoption@mspca.org for more information.
Sweet Pea and Sunshine are just two of the more than 100,000 animals whose medical and sheltering needs are met each year by the MSPCA-Angell. Readers who would like to offset the cost of their care—and the care of animals just like them—can click here.
Out of the Shelter and Into the Community
Sweet Pea and Sunshine arrived at the MSPCA at a time when the organization has extended its services all across Massachusetts in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Since the pandemic began, the MSPCA has delivered nearly 385,000 pet meals and over 25,000 lbs. of cat litter to food pantries, in addition to providing subsidized medical care to nearly 1,200 pets.
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