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September is Champions Circle Month!

All month long we’re celebrating our Champions

In honor of our monthly donors and their ongoing support, ARL is celebrating our Champions Circle members!

The Champions Circle is a special group of friends who support animals as recurring donors. Though we are celebrating them this month, our community of monthly givers provide the critical support needed to keep animals safe and healthy all year long.

Thank you to all our Champions Circle members for your loyal support!

Not yet a member? Now is the perfect time to join! 

Monthly giving is a convenient, affordable, and efficient way to provide help where it’s most needed.

When you join, your gift each month will provide animals with:

Champions Circle - membership perks

In exchange for your generosity, you can expect:

Champions Circle Membership Perks

There are many way to join…

Use our secure online form by clicking here

Or call Derek at (617) 426-9170 x162 to set up your monthly gift over the phone

Join the Champions Circle before September 30 and receive a special 2020 Champions Circle calendar!

*Please allow 4 weeks for delivery

 

ARL Brewster Partnering with Agway of Cape Cod to Offer Supplies for Residents Affected by Storm

In the aftermath of Tuesday’s devastating storm that left a wide array of damage on the mid, lower and outer Cape, the Animal Rescue League of Boston’s (ARL) Brewster Animal Care and Adoption Center is partnering with Agway of Cape Cod to help those impacted by the storm by offering free pet supplies.

Agway’s Dennis and Orleans stores will be accepting donations of food, litter, treats and other supplies (disposable litter boxes, bottled water, toys), and those supplies will then be delivered to ARL’s Brewster facility to be given to those who need them.

Supplies will be available during a pick-up window of 10:00AM to 1:00PM beginning Thursday, July 25, 2019, through Friday, August 2, and those in need can simply show up during this window to receive supplies.

ARL Brewster is located at 3981 Main St. (Route 6A) in Brewster, Agway in Orleans is located at 20 Lots Hollow Rd, and Agway in Dennis is located at 686 Route 134.

Such wide-spread devastation hasn’t been seen on this part of the Cape since Hurricane Bob in 1991, and ARL wants to extend a huge thank you to Agway of Cape Cod for their partnership to help fellow Cape Codders and their pets in an hour of need.

Nearly 50 Cats Removed from Metro Boston Home

While many of us were spending time with family during this past holiday weekend, our Law Enforcement Department was busy removing nearly 50 cats from a home, which has since been condemned due to deplorable and uninhabitable conditions.

When rescue agents entered the property, the air was suffocating and heavy with the odor of waste and decay. Trash, boxes and other items were piled from floor to ceiling and empty bowls and discarded cans of food littered the floors.

These conditions are a health hazard for animals and humans alike. Animals removed from these types of situations can have many issues including malnourishment, respiratory distress, matted fur and overgrown nails.

 

They're sick, frightened, and under-socialized – will you help?

They will need extraordinary medical treatment and likely weeks of constant interaction with staff and volunteers to recover – and thanks to your support, we will be able to provide them with everything they need.

In 2018, ARL removed more than 1,000 animals from overcrowding situations, and continues to see elevated numbers through the first four months of 2019.

Here are three things you can do today to help animals like the ones recovered this past weekend:

  1. Report Animal Cruelty. There are tell-tale signs of overcrowding and unhealthy living conditions for animals. If you identify any of the signs, please notify ARL Law Enforcement at cruelty@arlboston.org so we can investigate.
  2. Learn more about animal hoarding and animal overcrowding. This is a complex issue that often calls for deep compassion for animals and humans alike.
  3. Make a gift today. Donations support the investigation, rescue, and rehabilitation of animals that have suffered. With hoarding-type cases on the rise in the northeast, we need your support to help these animals overcome their trauma and find a safe, clean, happy home!

We cannot do this work alone – thank you for supporting animals when they need it most!

 

*PLEASE NOTE: These cats are not currently available for adoption and we ask that you please refrain from calling to inquire about them as these calls quickly overwhelm our phone lines. Thank you for your patience!

Local Companies Lend a Paw to Animals in Need

Recently, the employees of two local companies, Appleton Partners and Definitive Healthcare, hosted in-kind drives and fundraisers to benefit animals in need.

Both events helped raised funds to support ARL programs and secured treats, toys, and blankets for our shelter animals.

Thank you to the compassionate employees of both organizations who generously donated gifts, toys, and their time to our cause.

Learn more about hosting your own DIY fundraiser. 

Appleton Partners and Definitive Healthcare helping animals

You Saved over 700 Animals From Deplorable Conditions, Help Us Continue this Life-saving Work!

This summer, the Animal Rescue League of Boston’s (ARL) Law Enforcement Department assisted in the rescue of over 700 cats, dogs, rabbits, birds, reptiles, and rodents involved in animal hoarding-type situations in the towns of Norwood, Whitman, Hingham, Taunton, Plymouth, and New Bedford.

Animal hoarding is a serious community problem that can also place children, the elderly, dependent adults, property, and public health at risk. These types of cases are complex and put an immense strain on our resources.

ARL is only able to answer the call for help because of YOU. And these animals like Bella the Bulldog, pictured above, desperately need you now.

I WILL SUPPORT THIS LIFE-SAVING WORK

Animals rescued from cases of extreme neglect face a number of behavioral challenged and health concerns, including respiratory distress, malnutrition, parasites, and other illness.

I urge you to consider joining the Champions Circle today and provide the critical support needed to respond to emergencies like these and provide the critical support needed to keep animals safe and healthy all year long.

Your gift each month will:

    • Support our special investigations and on-going rescue efforts
    • Treat the sudden influx of animals with the extensive medical care they urgently need
    • Help these animals heal from the trauma of neglect and help them find forever homes

Monthly support from Champions Circle donors provides animals with care and assistance when they need it most. Join before September 30 and receive a special Champions Circle Calendar*!

*Please allow 4 weeks for delivery

Follow These 4 Pet Safety Tips for a Hoppy Easter

Keep your pets safe during the festivities

Spring is in the air (finally) and what better way to celebrate than with colorful eggs, bright flowers, and bunny-shaped chocolate–besides, perhaps, adding a new furry member to your family!

Spring Into Love and consider adopting an animal from the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL)! When you adopt, you give an animal a chance at a better life. All adoptable animals at the ARL also receive:

    • Spay or neuter services
    • Health screening and veterinary examination
    • Behavior screening and evaluations
    • Vaccinations and flea/tick/mite treatment
    • Microchip identification and registration

Search adoptable animals now and learn more about ARL’s Adoption Forward process.

With the Easter and Passover holiday upon us, remember that your pets will be curious about the new decorative items and delish goodies that you bring into your household. Be sure to keep these 4 pet safety tips in mind during the festivities:

  1. Leave lilies at the store. Although beautiful and iconic to Easter, a lily’s leaf, pollen, and flower are highly toxic if ingested by cats. Make sure to keep a special eye on cats as their excellent climbing skills can give them easy access to flowers and plants.
  2. Keep fake grass, candles, and other decorations out of reach. When your pet ingests stringy objects like ribbons or Easter basket grass, they can become wrapped around the base of the tongue or stomach and cause serious intestinal issues. Ceremonial Passover candles should be monitored at all times to prevent pets’ fur from catching fire.
  3. Chocolate and candy are a no-no. Chocolate, especially the darker bitter kind, is poisonous to pets. Chocolate contains methylxanthines, a relative of caffeine, and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, abnormal heart rhythm, seizures, and death. Many candies and gums contain the sugarless sweetener Xylitol, which is also highly toxic to pets–Xylitol is sometimes referred to as “Birch Sugar” on packaging.
  4. Hide eggs from your pets too. Secure pets during Easter egg hunts or other activities where plastic eggs or other small objects can be ingested. Consuming real eggs can cause illness as well if they have spoiled. Keep your pet busy with toys and treats and don’t forget to pick up all hidden gems once the activity is over.

From everyone at the ARL, Happy Easter and Passover!

A Happy Holiday Ending for “Santa Squirrel”

ARL’s Rescue Services frees squirrel stuck in a dog bone

Earlier this week, the Animal Rescue League of Boston’s (ARL) Rescue Services team was called to Hanover, MA, to help a squirrel that had a hollow dog bone stuck around its neck. The squirrel had been frequenting the backyard of a local residence for several weeks.

How did the family in that residence know it was the same squirrel? The critter had a very unique trait: a “white fur beard”. Given the holiday season, the family began referring to him as “Santa Squirrel”.

Read the full story, as covered by ABC.
Read the full story, as covered by People.com.

That was, until the family, captured a photo of the squirrel on a high-resolution camera. What the family had mistook as a beard was actually a hollow dog bone stuck around “Santa Squirrel’s” neck!

The Hanover family called ARL’s Rescue Services team for help. ARL promptly arrived on the scene and set up a humane peanut butter trap to capture “Santa Squirrel”.

Once safely inside the trap, “Santa Squirrel” was transferred to ARL’s Safford Memorial Shelter in Dedham, MA for immediate veterinary attention. With a little help from anesthesia to relax the critter, ARL’s Shelter Veterinary Medicine team was able to cut through the bone to free “Santa Squirrel”‘s neck.

Feeling much lighter the next day, “Santa Squirrel” was released back into the wild in Hanover – just in time for the holidays!

Bone removed from 'Santa Squirrel's" neck.

With the help of some anesthesia, a veterinarian was able to cut through the bone to free ‘Santa Squirrel’.

'Santa Squirrel' released back to Hanover, MA.

On Tuesday, ‘Santa Squirrel’ was released back into the wild in Hanover, MA.

HELP ANIMALS LIKE “SANTA SQUIRREL” HAVE A HOLIDAY THAT’S FURRY & BRIGHT 

ARL is a critical resources for animals in our community and for the people who care about them. Only thanks to YOUR support are we able to continue our important work.

Please join us in lending your support at this time. As we approach year-end, we still need to raise more than $500,000 by December 31 to meet our budget. 

Give as generously as you can and let us start the new year with the resources to respond whenever we receive that call for animals in need, like “Santa Squirrel”. Click the red button below to…

HELP ANIMALS NOW

Bark if You Love October

ARL Shares Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Adopt an Adult Dog

If you’ve considered adding a canine companion to your family, there’s no better time than NOW to ADOPT! October is National Adopt-a-Dog Month and the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) has many adult dogs looking for their forever homes!

Search adoptable dogs

Many potential adopters visit animal shelters looking for a puppy. While puppies are absolutely adorable, they are also very energetic and their personalities, likes, and dislikes are still emerging.

That’s why adopting an adult dog can be a great decision for you and your family! (Hint: At ARL Animal Care & Adoption Centers, adult dogs are 1 year and older.)

When you come into ARL’s shelters in Boston, Brewster, and Dedham, our knowledgeable adoption agents will ask you about what you’re looking for in a dog in terms of energy level, personality, and compatibility with children and other pets.

It won’t take long for you to realize that one of the biggest perks of adopting an adult dog is that what you see, is what you get.

Adult dogs have passed their critical development stages, so you’ll get a good idea of whether or not their personality and energy level is the right fit for your home. They may also be an easier introduction info the family, as puppies can be fragile and act quite timid in an already active household.

Not yet convinced? The ARL’s shares top 5 reasons why you should adopt an adult dog this October:

  1. You’ll save a life. When you adopt, you actually save two lives: the life of the dog that you adopted, and the life of the dog that is going to take its place at the shelter. Your new pet will thank you again and again for being their hero with slobbery kisses!
  2. You’ll meet your perfect canine companion. At the ARL, each dog is thoroughly evaluated to assess their medical history and overall temperament. They are then given a customized behavioral and enrichment plan to prepare them for life in their future home. All this information will be presented to you at the time of the potential adoption so that you and your family members can decide if the dog you’re interested in is the right match for you.
  3. You’ll find variety. If you have your mind set on a dog of a particular breed or temperament, chances are that one of ARL’s shelters will  have what you’re looking for! Various purebreds and mixed breeds come into our shelter at any given time, so we always have new dogs available! Don’t see a canine that catches your eye? Keep checking our list of current adoptables, as it changes every day!
  4. You’ll save money. Every adoptable dog at the ARL receives the following included in their adoption fee: health screening and veterinary examination; spay or neuter services; vaccinations; heartworm test and preventative; flea and tick treatment; intestinal parasite scan; microchip identification and registration; tag and collar.
  5. You’ll be doing something especially kind for animals in need. Adult dogs usually stay at our shelters much longer than puppies do. That’s why shelters usually charge a smaller adoption fee for adult dogs- to incentivize people to adopt them!

 

October is National Adopt-a-Dog Month

The ARL is celebrating National Adopt-a-Dog Month and you should too

The month of October is dedicated to honoring shelter dogs and helping the approximately 3.9 million dogs* who enter animal shelters each year find loving homes. If you’re considering adding a dog to your family, there’s no better time than National Adopt-a-Dog Month and the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) is a paw-some place to find your perfect canine match. 

When you adopt, you give an animal a chance at a better life. All adoptable dogs at the ARL receive: 

    • Spay or neuter services (excluding some small animals)
    • Health screening and veterinary examination
    • Behavior evaluations & enrichment
    • Vaccinations
    • Microchip identification and registration
    • Heartworm test and preventative medication for dogs
    • Feline Leukemia test for cats
    • Flea, tick, and mite treatment
    • Deworming for intestinal parasites
    • Tag, collar, and leash
    • A starter bag of Hill’s Science Diet food for cats and dogs
    • And more!

Visit an ARL Animal Care & Adoption Center in Boston, Brewster, or Dedham, to meet our adoptable dogs or learn more about our adoptable dogs online. If you meet the dog of your dreams, in most cases you can take him or her home with you the same day!

If adding a canine companion to your family is not a possibility, you can still help dogs in need! Consider sponsoring a dog’s adoption fee or donating supplies from our Animal Care & Adoption Centers’ wish lists. Contact (617) 226-5602 for more information.

*According to the ASPCA’s pet statistics. 

October is Pet Obesity Awareness Month at BVC

As humans, we’re reminded daily about the short and long-term health benefits of proper nutrition and exercise. To keep our weight in check, we can pretty easily monitor our weight loss or gain by stepping on our bathroom scale, trying on those “skinny jeans”, or observing our overall energy level. And, if we don’t like what we see or how we feel, we can make a conscious effort to get our health back on track.

When it comes to our pets, the same rules about a proper diet and maintaining a healthy weight apply, except that our pets cannot regulate it themselves; we must do it for them!

According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, an estimated 52.6% of dogs and 57.6% of cats in the United States are overweight or obese. These statistics are concerning since there are many health risks for overweight pets, which include: diabetes, joint stress, arthritis, an increase in blood pressure, heart disease, lethargy, and overall poor quality of life. These worrisome negative health implications are why obesity in our pets is not only important to recognize, but also to control and prevent.

Boston Veterinary Care (BVC) shares 5 important tips on how to manage your pet’s weight:

  1. Keep track of your pet’s weight, just as you would your own, so that any gains or losses can be easily detected. A 5-pound weight gain may not have a significant effect on a 160lb human, but it will on a 15lb dog. To determine if your pet may be overweight, stand directly over your pet and look down at them; if you do not see a waistline, then your pet may be too heavy.
  2. Monitor your pet’s eating habits. This includes snacks too! Proper calorie intake varies by animal, so consult your veterinarian to determine your pet’s ideal weight and a proper diet. If your pet seems hungrier than normal after mealtime, try to figure out if their eagerness to eat is from actual hunger or simply the desire to taste those yummy table scraps.
  3. Observe any changes in energy level. If your pet seems to be tired or less active than normal, weight gain or improper nutrition may be to blame. If the lethargy lasts more than a few days, contact your veterinarian.
  4. Create a lifestyle that encourages exercise. Most pets like to play, so find an activity that you both enjoy. If your dog likes to run, try jogging with them a few times a week. If they like to fetch, throw a ball around with them in the park after work. If you have a cat, find a toy that they like to chase. Remember, you’ll reap the benefits of the daily exercise too without even realizing it!
  5. Schedule vet appointments regularly. In addition to your pet’s annual wellness exam, you should take your pet to their veterinarian if you observe any significant weight gain (or loss!), or a change in eating habits or energy level. If your veterinarian determines that your pet needs to lose a few pounds, it’s important to help them slim down to a healthy weight- and to help them maintain it afterward.

To make an appointment at Boston Veterinary care, call617-226-5605 or email bvc@arlboston.org.