Angela Dudley, Author at Animal Rescue League of Boston

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ARL Reflections: A Look Back at an Amazing 2017

“Joey” In the Midst of Being Certified as a Therapy Animal

In the case of “Joey”, a two-year-old rabbit, good things do indeed come in small packages. Joey, formerly Thumper, was adopted at the Animal Rescue League of Boston’s (ARL) Dedham Animal Care and Adoption Center this past spring, and has literally changed the life of his owner.

17-Year-Old Kelsey has been diagnosed with anxiety, depression, and high-functioning autism. She did not deal well with crowds, but with Joey in her life, all that has changed.

“Just holding him makes me more confident and calm,” Kelsey said.

On the weekends Kelsey spends a lot of time at a local pet store, and of course has Joey by her side. With a cute collection of sweaters, tranquil demeanor (and did we mention he’s a fluffy rabbit?) Joey and Kelsey get lots of attention, and because of the impact he’s had on her, she wants to share Joey with others who also need the calming effect of an animal.

“I’m in the process of having him certified to be a therapy animal,” Kelsey said. “He’s done so much for me, I know he can help others as well.”

Life-Changing Impact

At 17, Kelsey is faced with the question that haunts many in her age bracket — what do I want to do when I grow up? Joey has not only helped Kelsey in her everyday life, but he has also helped answer the aforementioned question as well.

“I have always had a passion for animals, but Joey has shown me how much I enjoy working with animals and how they can help people, and that’s what I want to do,” she exclaimed.

Why Adopt a Rabbit from ARL

Joey and other rabbits like him can make excellent pets, especially for those who don’t have the space or time for a dog or cat.

Here are 5 reasons why animal lovers should consider adopting a rabbit:

Bunnies spend the majority of their day quietly inside their cage, making them the perfect companions for apartment dwellers.
Cottontails can be trained to use a litter box, so you won’t have to rush home from work to let them out.
Hares need minimal exercise every day, so they require less attention than cats or dogs.
Rabbits are curious, friendly, and will entertain you for hours with their silly antics.
Hop-a-longs keep themselves tidy and are all about “clean eating”, snacking on salad, hay, and carrots as treats.

YOU Make Human-Animal Connections Like Kelsey’s Possible

ARL is an unwavering champion for animals in need, and with your help we can help more animals like Joey find the perfect home and change lives. Animals at ARL receive the specialized veterinary care, kind attention, and socialization they need to thrive — only because of YOUR generous donations. We receive no government funding and rely solely on generous individuals like you to keep our important work going. Please support ARL today, and thank you for being a champion for animals!

ARL Reflections: Looking Back at an Amazing 2017

Community Cats Initiative Shows Immediate, Large-Scale Impact

In 2017, the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) became the first organization in Massachusetts with staff specifically dedicated to helping “community cats”. These cats can be characterized as friendly strays, abandoned or feral; as well as owned cats that are allowed to roam outdoors. There are an estimated 700,000 community cats living in the state and face a variety of dangers, including starvation, illness, over-population, harsh weather, and other predators.

As an unwavering champion for animals in need, ARL decided that the challenges community cats face required our attention and action.

Watch a 2017 recap video of ARL’s Community Cats Initiative

ARL’s Community Cats Initiative is a two-pronged approach. Our rescue agents respond to calls regarding community cat colonies, and after an initial assessment, a TNR (Trap-Neuter-Return) plan is formulated for that particular colony.

Once trapped, these animals are brought to the Community Surgical Clinic at ARL’s Dedham Animal Care and Adoption Center for treatment and surgery.

TNR is one of the most humane and effective ways to stop the cycle of homelessness among cats. Along with surgery, the TNR plan includes vaccines, and whether each cat will be returned to the colony, returned to their owner if they are microchipped, or be put up for adoption at ARL’s Boston, Brewster, or Dedham shelters if they are deemed friendly.

Throughout the year, ARL’s Community Cats Initiative rescued more than 600 homeless cats, and astonishingly just 18 percent were returned to their habitat. That means that more than 400 cats have been taken off the streets and adopted into loving homes!

Let’s help even more animals in 2018 — TOGETHER!

We are excited about our commitment to help keep community cats safe and healthy in the habitats in which they live but we need your investment in order to provide the best outcome for these cats. To fully support these innovative programs and help more than 1,500 cats lead healthier lives, we need to raise $204,000 annually. Thank you for supporting ARL and being a champion for animals!

ARL Reflections: Looking Back at an Amazing 2017

Terrific Transformations!

Stray, abandoned, surrendered, rescued, law enforcement cases — Animals arrive at the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) a variety of ways, and when they come to us, they need an abundance of care, support, and love — but some need more than others. It’s astounding to chart the progress of some of these animals, and when you can see a marked improvement, it’s proof-positive that ARL is truly a Champion for Animals.

Pictures say a thousand words, so WATCH these transformations unfold before your eyes!

Maybelle, May, 2017. Maybelle, a one-year-old pot-bellied pig was in the care of ARL for more than six months. What began as a tale of woe, turned into a tale of triumph!

Eleanor, May 2017. Eleanor, an 11-year-old Lhasa Apso mix, is lucky to be alive. Found wandering along with side of a busy road, Eleanor’s turn-around was awe-inspiring and emotional.

Phil, February 2017. Phil, a two-year-old Maltese, was discovered abandoned along the side of the road in Hingham. He was an instant media sensation, and his transformation broke the cuteness scale!

Zim, February 2017. Zim, an 11-month-old tabby classic, went from a stray, to a rescue, to a surgical patient, to adopted! His transformation was all about improving his quality of life.

Sal, May 2017. In his one year of life, Sal had endured quite a lot. Suffering a series of traumas, Sal needed a lot of TLC but in the end he found his perfect forever home.

Let’s Help Even More Animals in 2018 — Together!

The above stories are just a tiny sample-size of the work that ARL is doing every day. Animals at ARL receive the specialized veterinary care, kind attention, and socialization they need to thrive — only because of YOUR generous donations. ARL receives no government funding, relying solely on the generosity of individuals like you to keep our important work going. We need your continued support today to ensure we start the new year fully-funded to respond to the nearly 18,000 animals who will depend on us for help. Your tax-deductible donation will provide the critical resources necessary to help thousands of homeless animals, family pets, wildlife, and communities most in need in 2018.

Thank you for being a Champion for Animals and for giving generously today!

Kittens with Rare Congenital Condition Looking for Purrfect Family

**Update: Baxter and Suzie have been adopted**

Special Kittens Require Special Accommodations

Fifteen-week-old Baxter and Suzie recently came to the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) as owner surrenders and are like typical kittens in many ways. They’re energetic, spunky, and are just starting to learn their way in the world. However these siblings are also unlike many other kittens, as they were born with a rare congenital defect that prohibits normal ambulation; and will need to be adopted into homes able to accommodate their limitations.

Radial Agenesis is an orthopedic condition were the radius — the bone that goes from our elbow to our wrist — did not form properly. These kittens are essentially missing bones in their front limbs, as well as one hind leg. The condition results in bowed-in front legs, where the kittens walk on their wrists instead of their paws. Click here to see video of these siblings in action!

While little can be done to correct this condition, many cats, including Baxter and Suzie, with Radial Agenesis can have an excellent quality of life and have no idea that they are not “normal”. Potential adopters will have to keep the following accommodations in mind:

Carpeted Floors. For Baxter and Suzie, carpets give them the necessary traction to get around — especially stairs.
Easily Accessible Basics. Providing food and water dishes that don’t tip over and a litter box with a lowered opening are key.
Indoor only. Baxter and Suzie should be indoor animals only, as they lack the ability to quickly flee from outdoor dangers.
Weight Management. Because of their abnormal gait, there is a greater risk of developing osteoarthritis later in life. Keeping them at a healthy weight along with regular veterinary visits is recommended.

A Home for the Holidays

Suzie and Baxter have done well in separate foster homes, and will soon be ready to find their forever home so stay tuned! If you are ready to open up your heart and home for an animal in need this holiday season, please check ARL’s adoption page to find your perfect match or visit our Boston, Dedham, or Brewster Animal Care and Adoption Centers to meet your next furry friend in person.

PRESS RELEASE: ARL Receives $20,000 Grant From PetSmart Charities to Support Daily Shelter Operations to Help Local Pets in Need Thrive

November 30, 2017 — BOSTON, MA — Today, the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) announced its receipt of a new $20,000 grant from PetSmart Charities, the leading funder of animal welfare in North America. The new grant will support the daily operations of ARL so they can continue their efforts to help local shelter pets thrive as they await adoption.

In addition to providing funding for general shelter needs, ARL’s grant will help to cover some of the costs associated with providing much needed dental procedures for 102 senior shelter animals.

“Providing dental cleanings and necessary tooth extractions allows these animals to enjoy a better quality of life and improves their overall health,” said Caitlin Tomlinson, ARL’s Associate Director of Shelter Operations. “This translates into a higher degree of adoptability and shorter shelter stays. Our goal is to get these animals into loving homes, and the generosity of Pet Smart Charities is allowing us to do just that.”

In animal welfare, funding for general shelter operations can be hard to come by. That’s why PetSmart Charities identified this as an area of great need to its adoption partners and grantees and developed this new grant category.

“Shelter operations grants are helping to ensure organizations like the Animal Rescue League of Boston have access to the funding and resources they need,” said Sima Thakkar, regional relationship manager at PetSmart Charities. “Together, we’re helping to reduce the length of time pets will need to be in the care of the ARL and increasing the likelihood they’ll soon find the forever home they deserve.”

Shelter Operations is just one of PetSmart Charities ten grant categories designed to support animal welfare organizations and nonprofits as part of their newly expanded mission to find lifelong loving homes for all pets by supporting programs that bring people and pets together. Funding from PetSmart Charities supports best practices that help pets thrive in a shelter environment until they find their forever family and offers funding for shelter-based programs that improve adoptions, reduce pets’ length of stay and strengthen shelter infrastructure.

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About PetSmart Charities®

PetSmart Charities, Inc. is a nonprofit animal welfare organization with a mission to find lifelong, loving homes for all pets by supporting programs and thought leadership that bring people and pets together. In addition to finding homes for almost 500,000 shelter pets each year through its in-store adoption program in all PetSmart stores across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, PetSmart Charities provides funding to non-profits aligned with its mission through four key areas of grant support: Preventing Pet Homelessness; Helping Shelter Pets Thrive; Supporting the Bond Between People and Pets; and Emergency Relief and Disaster Support. Each year, millions of generous PetSmart shoppers help pets in need by donating to PetSmart Charities using the pin pads at checkout registers inside PetSmart stores. In turn, PetSmart Charities efficiently uses 90 cents of every dollar donated and has become the leading funder of animal welfare in North America, donating about $300 million to date. PetSmart Charities, a 501(c)(3) organization, has received the Four Star Rating from Charity Navigator, an independent organization that reports on the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of nonprofits, for the past 14 years in a row — placing it among the top one percent of charities rated by this organization. To learn more visit www.petsmartcharities.org

Follow PetSmart Charities on Twitter: @PetSmartChariTs
Find PetSmart Charities on Facebook: Facebook.com/PetSmartCharities
See PetSmart Charities on YouTube: YouTube.com/PetSmart CharitiesInc

UPDATE: ARL’s Preparedness Provides Quick Turnaround

Dogs Rescued on Thanksgiving Eve Ready for Adoption

Update! Two of the six cats rescued from unsanitary conditions are now up for adoption at ARL’s Dedham Animal Care and Adoption Center.

On Thanksgiving Eve, while many of us were busy travelling or preparing for the holiday, the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) was assisting authorities in Middlesex County, removing animals from a hoarding situation.

In all, 26 animals were removed from the home, including 20 Shih Tzu dogs and puppies and six Siamese cats.

The animals were thin, dehydrated, and hungry. Additionally, many of the animals were unkempt and had feces and urine stuck in their matted fur.

ARL Rescue Services, Law Enforcement, Shelter Operations and Shelter Veterinary Medicine collaborated for a quick response, removing the animals and shuttling them to ARL’s Dedham Animal Care and Adoption Center, where they were triaged, examined, fed, and kept warm.

The dogs and cats were monitored by staff on Thanksgiving and into the weekend. The animals quickly put on weight, and just seven days after being removed from the situation, six of the dogs are now being made available for adoption!

“I’m proud of the collaborative efforts that were made by a number of ARL programs in order to have this positive outcome,” said Dr. Edward Schettino, ARL’s Vice President of Animal Welfare and Veterinary Services. “Our preparedness to deal with emergency situations has been tested many times and this was no exception; and once again ARL responded quickly to help these animals in need.”

The remaining 14 animals are receiving on-going treatment, and will be made available once they are medically cleared, and it’s hopeful that all of these animals will have new homes for the holidays!

An Early Holiday-Season Miracle

Abandoned Kitten Brought Back from Brink of Death

‘Tis the season of miracles, and the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) recently witnessed one in the form of an 11-week-old kitten who was found on the campus of Mount Ida College.

Mount Ida employees had recently contacted ARL Rescue Services after seeing a mother cat with her litter around one of the campus buildings. Separate trips to the campus yielded no results in finding the kitty family; however about a week later, employees heard a kitten in a basement stairwell crying for help. Attempting to aid the kitten, he got spooked, and scampered off into the darkness.

Scared, dehydrated, hungry, and alone after being abandoned by his mother, the kitten curled up in the corner of the basement to die. When ARL arrived on-scene, the kitten was seemingly lifeless (the responding agent even checked for rigor mortis), when suddenly the kitten gasped for breath. He was alive — barely — and it was now a race against the clock to save his life. Thankfully the campus sits just five miles from ARL’s Dedham Animal Care and Adoption Center.

Emergency Measures

Upon arrival in Dedham, his temperature did not register via rectal thermometer, he was taking agonal breaths — the body’s last-ditch effort to deliver oxygen to vital organs — and had a faint heartbeat.

ARL’s shelter and community veterinary staff placed the kitten (later named Lawrence) on a towel wrapped in a heating pad to warm him up, then were able to place an IV catheter in him to deliver subcutaneous fluids and dextrose. Despite having a series of seizures (likely related to low blood-sugar levels), over the next few hours the kitten gradually pepped up and eventually was able to eat.

A Life Saved

Lawrence has been making steady progress, and the grit and toughness shown by this little miracle has been awe-inspiring to everyone involved in the collaborative life-saving effort.

“The way he has responded is remarkable,” said ARL Veterinarian Dr. Kate Gollon. “It’s a nice reminder how resilient many animals are if you simply give them the basics — water, warmth, food, and a little TLC. It’s definitely been one of the most rewarding cases in my career as a veterinarian.”

YOU Make our Work Possible

While still on the mend, Lawrence is amazingly friendly and will likely be ready to find a forever home in time for the holidays! Without your support, this heartwarming outcome may not have been possible. ARL receives no government funding and relies solely on the generosity of individuals to be an unwavering champion for animals.

If you support ARL now, your contribution can be tripled! ARL is thrilled to be a part of the launch of HippoGive — a new app powered by Network for Good which makes donating simpler. HippoGive will match up to $100 of your gift so now through #GivingTuesday, your gift can be tripled when combined with our match!

Low-Stress Approach Used for Removing Jar from Raccoon’s Head

ARL Rescue Services Assist Woburn ACO

Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) Rescue Services has certainly had its share of calls to help animals in strange predicaments — a squirrel with its head stuck in a dumpster drain or animal bone, cats in walls, and this week we add a raccoon in a tree with a plastic jar stuck on its head.

On Tuesday, Woburn’s Animal Control Officer contacted ARL regarding the raccoon. He appeared to be healthy and uninjured, but the jar posed a number of dangers — induced panic from the enclosed space, inability to eat or see, and the possibility of falling out of the tree. A trap had been set at the base of the tree, but it was clear that responders had to go to the animal, not wait for him to come down.

The raccoon was about 25 feet up in the tree, which made him accessible, but understandably the raccoon was stressed. The goal of rescuers was to try and remove the jar without having to snare the raccoon and bring him to the ground — easier said than done.

Climbing about 15 feet up in to the tree and using an 11-foot extension pole, ARL Senior Rescue Agent Mike Brammer essentially had to play ring-toss with the jar, positioning it just right to pull it off the raccoon’s head without making him panic.

After several attempts, the jar came off, fluttered to the ground and was disposed of properly (just in case the raccoon didn’t learn his lesson) and the animal remained free in the tree without injury!

Make Double the Impact

In the past year, ARL Rescue Services has responded to well over 1,500 wildlife rescue calls. ARL receives no government and relies solely on the generosity of individuals to make our work possible. As part of Giving Tuesday, your support can now have double the impact.

#GivingTuesday is an international movement created to encourage giving back to the charities nearest and dearest to your heart during the busy holiday season.

Because ARL is committed to keeping animals safe and healthy in their habitats and homes, our Board of Directors and President have teamed up to offer this incredible challenge:

Raise $100,000 and they will double it.*

That means any gift you make now through November 28 will be matched dollar for dollar to help us reach our total goal of $200,000 for animals in need! Donate $100 or more and you or your pet will be acknowledged on ARLâ€™s #GivingTuesday Wall of Honor.

*The match only applies to the first $100K in donations ARL receives but all gifts will go to help animals in need.

Good Samaritan’s Quick Actions Saves Lives of Two Stray Kittens

ARL Shelter Staff, Volunteers Take Extraordinary Measures

This past weekend, shelter agents at ARL’s Boston Animal Care and Adoption Center received a call from a woman in Hyde Park who had found two kittens small enough to fit in the palm of her hand, but their mother and rest of the litter were nowhere to be found. Left to fend for themselves, quick action needed to be taken in order to give these kittens a chance of surviving.

ARL volunteer Stacey Coyne hopped in the car and drove to the woman’s address, and found that while the male kitten was alert, responsive and hungry, the female kitten was ice cold, lethargic and had labored breathing. The stray kittens were estimated to be about two weeks old, and with their mother abandoning them for some reason, it was a race against the clock to get them stabilized. For the ride back to the shelter, the kittens were wrapped in a blanket and placed on top of a bottle filled with warm water, in an effort to raise their body temperatures.

Once back at the shelter, the kittens continued to be warmed up, were given subcutaneous fluids, and were bottle fed with kitten milk formula. Although warming up and eating, a short time later the female kitten began to crash once again — while coordinating efforts with ARL veterinary staff, it was unclear whether she would make it through the night.

Volunteer Dedication

With the kittens needing special attention, Stacey volunteered to take them home for the night. She tended to their needs, kept a close eye on their condition, and continued to bottle-feed them. It was an all-night effort, as Stacey stayed awake with the kittens until 5 a.m.

In the 12-18 hours after being found, the condition of the female kitten vastly improved, and while not out of the woods, the little ones are on the road to recovery, and will remain in foster care for several more weeks so stay tuned for updates!!

The Importance of Fostering

Sometimes shelter animals need a little extra attention and TLC outside of the shelter environment. ARL is always looking for responsible and loving individuals willing to open their homes for animals in need — of critical need right now are volunteers to help with shy cats at ARL’s Dedham Animal Care and Adoption Center, and behaviorally-challenged dogs. Fostering depends on the animal’s needs, and can range from several days to several weeks. Additionally, our Roving Rovers program is perfect for working families and professionals. This unique foster experience allows you to take one our shelter dogs home overnight, while the shelter is closed. Get involved today!

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ARL Reflections: A Look Back at an Amazing 2017

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Let’s Help Even More Animals in 2018 — Together!

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