The Two Organizations Head into the Third Year of their Affiliation Having Rescued Thousands of Animals
BOSTON and Salem, Mass.—Dec. 30, 2022 – In a year of record animal transports, historic surrenders, and a nationwide Beagle rescue operation, the MSPCA-Angell and Northeast Animal Shelter (NEAS) are highlighting some of the great saves the two organizations accomplished in the first full year of their affiliation, which included more than 100 goats from a single property, thousands of dogs and cats from across the country, and even a llama with one eye.
A Storied Year
To celebrate these accomplishments, the organizations are out with the top 10 saves of the year:
1. The Envigo Beagles: The MSPCA and NEAS immediately jumped to help the Humane Society of the United States rescue 4,000 beagles from Envigo, a facility in Virginia that was breeding the dogs to sell to research labs. The two organizations took in more than 100 of the dogs over the summer, and people were eager to adopt them—submitting more than 1,000 inquiries from across North America! Two of the dogs, Wendell and Sydney, were adopted by a family in Ottawa, Canada, where they’re now living happily with their 13-year-old dog brother, Jake.
2. Jerry: Jerry the emu came to the MSPCA at Nevins Farm in Methuen in January. He and nearly 100 goats, some of whom were pregnant, were removed from a property in Dighton as part of a Law Enforcement investigation. Jerry and his goat friends were finally able to find their forever homes in August, after their previous owner failed to pay a bond as ordered by a judge—giving the MSPCA full custody. Jerry was adopted less than a month later and left to live at a home with other emus. His family says he’s doing great, and really enjoying having emu siblings.
3. The Kentucky Cats: This year, the MSPCA and NEAS expanded on their mission to help respond to every natural disaster, no matter where it happens. That included transporting nearly 50 cats out of Kentucky in the wake of deadly flooding that left more than two dozen people dead. The cats arrived in Massachusetts in August and September—and have all since found loving new homes.
4. Trudi: Trudi came to the MSPCA from South Carolina in August as part of the organization’s transport operation. She needed a wheelchair to walk, and staff in her overcrowded shelter in South Carolina were unable to give her the time and attention she needed to heal. She was treated by the Physical Rehabilitation team at Angell West in Waltham and learned to walk on her own. It took a few weeks, but Trudi was then able to find her forever home.
5. The Chihuahua-Yorkshire Terriers: In March, nearly two dozen Chihuahua-Yorkshire Terrier mixes were surrendered to the MSPCA at Nevins Farm in Methuen. The dogs, ranging in age from one-to-16 years old, had been living in a single home in Worcester County. They were in fine health, but needed some dental work before they could be adopted. Rafiki was the last of the group to be adopted. He spent close to six months at the shelter before finding his forever home. His family says he’s doing well and learning more every day.
6. Shakira: Shakira the Bengal kitten was found injured outside a Worcester home overnight in April. When a good Samaritan brought her to the MSPCA’s Boston Adoption Center, she was unable to walk and was in shock from her long ordeal. Shelter veterinarians examined her and determined that she had a pelvic fracture that would require surgery to repair. Following the surgery, adoption inquiries poured in for the Bengal, which is a breed very rare in shelters. Shakira was quickly adopted, renamed Nala, and her family says she’s thriving in her new home where she has a cat sibling named Mowgli.
7. Hyacinth: Hyacinth the llama was surrendered to the MSPCA at Nevins Farm in Methuen in April—just the 5th llama surrendered there in 20 years. She was suffering from an eye issue that required ongoing care her previous owner was unable to provide. The Nevins team determined that her right eye was damaged, likely as a result of past trauma, and brought her to the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, where veterinarians removed the eye to prevent recurring infections. Less than a month later, Hyacinth was fully healed and adopted by a shearer who owns a farm in Hubbardston, where she’s happily living with other llama and alpaca friends.
8. Bruno: Bruno the serval—a wild cat native to sub-Saharan Africa that is illegal to own as a pet in Massachusetts—was found roaming a neighborhood in Lincoln in January. The MSPCA’s Community Outreach team responded, captured the wild cat, and brought him to the MSPCA’s Jamaica Plain headquarters, where veterinarians determined his right leg was broken in two places. He was treated there, and when he was fully healed, he was relocated to The Wildlife Sanctuary in Minnesota, where he’s living with other wild animals.
9. Hub Cat: The kitten now known as Hub Cat was brought to the MSPCA-Angell in early November, after he was rescued from a truck tire in Lawrence. Animal control officers there were trying to catch the kitten and his siblings when he got scared and tried to hide in the tire, where he got stuck. MSPCA veterinarians were able to save his leg, but they did need to amputate two of his toes. After he recovered, he was neutered and adopted to a new family just days before Christmas. All of his siblings also found their forever homes right before the holidays.
10. Tuesday: Tuesday the six-week-old puppy was found outside on an East Boston street in late-November ill with Parvovirus, which can be deadly without emergency treatment. He spent a week in the Intensive Care Unit at Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston, getting around-the-clock care, including IV fluids and a feeding tube. After two weeks of receiving additional care while living in a foster home, Tuesday was neutered and made available for adoption on December 20. The MSPCA is confident he’ll find his forever home soon.
Help the MSPCA Continue Saving Lives
Incredible saves like these would not be possible without the support of donors and the community. Those who would like to donate to help the MSPCA continue saving lives in 2023 may do so at www.mspca.org/match.
