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What a Week!

ARL Resumes Adoption Services, dozens of animals find forever homes

On Monday, June 1, the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) resumed what is arguably the most beloved aspect of the organization – finding forever homes for animals in need.

In its first week back, ARL found homes for 78 animals – this marks the 2nd highest total of adoptions in a one-week period in 2020!

Due to health and safety concerns surrounding COVID-19, ARL suspended adoption services on March 17, 2020. More than 200 animals were placed into foster care at that time, and ARL is so excited to have been able to find homes for a number of animals who have had a tough few months:


Cookie Dough
This 10-year-old cat was abandoned outside ARL’s Boston Animal Care and Adoption Center in April. But this big flirt adjusted quickly and has found the perfect home to spend her golden years!

Beans
This adorable 6-month-old kitten was accidentally stepped on and suffered a severe fracture in his hind leg. Sadly the injured leg needed to be removed, but he is in a loving home and has adjusted very well!

Gardenia
Sadly Gardenia was found abandoned in an apartment building in Malden. She was nervous initially, but quickly warmed up and once she was made available for adoption she found her home very quickly.

Champ
An adorable 5-month-old Great Dane mix, Champ came to ARL with two of his siblings from a law enforcement situation in Western Massachusetts. Despite a hearing deficit and an ocular defect which could eventually impact his sight, Champ has found a lovely home and is thriving.

Rosie
Champ’s sister! Like her brother, Rosie also suffers from the same genetic deficits, but like Champ, she has found her perfect forever home.

Franky
This fluffy 1-year-old rabbit spent nearly four months waiting for his perfect match. It was worth the wait because now Franky is the center of attention in his new forever home and is loving his new life!

Radagast
A 2-year-old tabby with tons of personality! Radagast was one of more than a dozen animals removed from a hoarding-type situation in Plymouth County in 2019. A favorite of any ARL staff member who came in contact with him, this amazing cat was adopted quickly once he became available.

Peppermint, Saffron, Sage, Vanilla
This colorful bunch came to ARL from a property on Cape Cod whose owner was unable to care for them after being stuck out of state due to COVID-19. There were more than a dozen cats on the property and the others will soon be available for adoption as well!

Ready to Find Your Perfect Match?

ARL would like to thank everyone who has opened their hearts and homes for an animal in need during a time of great uncertainty.

To protect the health, safety and well-being of staff, volunteers, clients and the animals in our care, ARL will continue appointment-only adoptions for the foreseeable future.

Click here if you are interested in finding your perfect match, and once you find an animal you would like to meet, call (617) 426-9170 and dial the appropriate extension: Boston x604, Dedham x605, Brewster x305. Our staff will be happy to conduct an adoption interview with you via the phone and arrange a meeting, if both parties think it’s a good match.

Please note:

  • We are unable to conduct out-of-state adoptions at this time.
  • The public will not be permitted in the shelter or lobby waiting areas without an appointment and will be asked to limit the number of visitors.
  • Everyone must wear a protective face covering or mask that covers both the nose and mouth while at ARL facilities or community programs, or BVC, by order of the State of Massachusetts.
  • Please alert our staff if you need to request accommodation due to a medical condition by calling: (617) 426 – 9170 and dialing the appropriate extension: Boston press “0”, Dedham x605, or Brewster x305;
  • For more information on these safety requirements, visit Mass.gov.
Rescued Golden Pheasant Finally Finds a Home

“Buckbeak” spent 272 days at ARL

In September 2019, the Animal Rescue League of Boston’s (ARL) Law Enforcement Department seized two dozen animals from horrific, unsanitary conditions at a Middleboro commercial breeding facility.

“Buckbeak”, a young golden pheasant, was rescued from the same property several months earlier.

Buckbeak quickly made himself at home in ARL’s iconic barn, located at the Dedham Animal Care and Adoption Center, and over a series of weeks was tested for several avian diseases, and was banded for identification purposes.

While extremely beautiful, golden pheasants are not native to Massachusetts.

They can however be kept as pets – but only by obtaining a permit from the MA Department of Fisheries and Wildlife which is required to be renewed annually.

Along with a permit, potential adopters also needed a secure enclosure, as Buckbeak is able to fly.

Unfortunately, these circumstances kept the golden pheasant at ARL for nearly nine months.

 A Perfect Match

This past week, ARL received an inquiry from a person who not only had a permit and a perfect setup, but was also caring for another pheasant!

After 272 days in the care of ARL, Buckbeak is now in the company of a female pheasant and enjoying his forever home!

Caring for Livestock

ARL’s livestock population is constantly changing.

From goats, pigs, horses, to roosters, pigeons and of course pheasants, ARL provides more than a temporary shelter for these animals – ARL gives these animals another chance at life.

We encourage anyone with the passion and capacity to care for livestock to check our website often to find your next barnyard friend!

An Amazing Transformation

Olive, seized in law enforcement investigation, finds her forever home

When we first met Olive in September 2019, she had just been rescued along with 18 other Cane Corsos as the result of an Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) law enforcement case.

Back then she was known only as MD46.

Like the majority of the animals seized from the unsanitary conditions at the Middleboro, MA breeding kennel, Olive was terrified at the world beyond her kennel and it was clear the days and weeks ahead would be challenging.

However, nearly six months later, Olive has continuously shown her resilience, and her amazing transformation has come full circle, as she recently found her forever home!

A Slow Process

For Olive, ARL’s shelter staff and volunteers immediately went to work, providing daily encouragement and enrichment, and slowly began introducing her to new things like outdoor walks and playtime.

At first these activities would be short, and she would quickly retreat to the more familiar and self-imposed sanctuary of her kennel.

But as the days and weeks passed, more and more Olive was enjoying the time spent outdoors (highlighted by sudden bursts of the zoomies in Brewster’s outdoor paddock) and her once sad and sullen expression was replaced with joy and happiness.

Going Home

It did take a bit of time to find the right match for Olive, but when she met her new owner, the connection was instantaneous.

Olive is now enjoying a quiet life in Western Massachusetts and everyone who worked with Olive was thrilled when her adoption was finalized.

The Importance of Enrichment

For Olive and her fellow Cane Corsos, they came to ARL after living sheltered and unhappy lives.

ARL’s behavioral staff was steadfast in ensuring that these animals received the love, attention, and encouragement to help them break free of their previous circumstances in order for them to thrive.

Olive is just one example of the incredible work that goes into helping thousands of animals overcome adversity and find loving homes each and every year.

Congratulations to Olive and her new owner!

Press Release: Stray Cat Found Frozen to Shipping Container Recovering

Schooner’s Holiday Miracle

Update: Schooner has found his forever home! Once he was made available for adoption, he found his new family in a matter of hours. Congratulations to Schooner and his new family!

The Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) is continuing to care for a stray cat found frozen to a shipping container outside a Dedham restaurant during last week’s cold snap. Miraculously the cat, now named Schooner, not only survived, but is well on his way to finding a new home.

ARL was contacted by Dedham Animal Control Officer Jayson Tracy, after discovering the cat in the early morning hours last Wednesday, stuck to the container outside of TGI Fridays along Providence Highway. The cat was carefully removed from the container, and brought to ARL’s Animal Care and Adoption Center in Dedham.

It’s likely that Schooner’s fur was wet and with bitter cold and real-feel temperatures well below freezing, once the cat came in contact with the container he was immediately stuck. It’s unknown how long the cat was frozen to the container.

Schooner was very thin, dehydrated and showing the typical bumps and bruises of living outdoors which included a fractured tooth, but amazingly he did not suffer from hypothermia.

While at ARL in Dedham, Schooner has eaten ravenously and has already gained a pound and he has also become a staff favorite for his easy-going and friendly demeanor.

Schooner will soon be placed in foster care for two weeks so he can continue to gain weight, will have his fractured tooth removed, be neutered and then will be ready to find his forever home.

Holiday Caring

For many, the holiday season brings feelings of warmth, comfort, and friendship – and our wish for you and all the animals in our care is to experience the joy of the holidays.

Your generous support made this wish come true for thousands of animals so far this year, including:

  • 4,420 pets and community cats who were spayed and neutered to keep them healthy
  • 2,770 animals who were rehabilitated and adopted into forever homes
  • 980 pets who received affordable pet wellness services in the convenience of their own community
  • 275 cats and dogs who were transported away from overcrowded shelters in other states

But this important work to help animals is not close to being done. Your support is critical to ensure that ARL is ready to respond when animals are in need of help. Please consider donating to ARL this holiday season, so together we can help animals like Schooner and thousands like him!

Abandoned 19-Year-Old Cat Needs Home for the Holidays

Cats of this age rarely seen in shelters

UPDATE: Tangee has been adopted!! Thank you to the hundreds of caring individuals who reached out regarding this sweet girl. She has found a wonderful home not only for the holidays, but for the rest of her life.

The Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) is looking to find a home for a 19-year-old cat who was recently abandoned by her owner, who has apparently moved out of state.

Tangee has quickly become a staff favorite!

Given her age, ARL is determined to find someone willing to open their home and heart for this special animal just in time for Christmas.

“Tangee” was initially brought to Boston Animal Control by a woman who had dropped a man off at Logan Airport. When exiting the vehicle, he handed the woman the cat and a note which indicated that he was moving to Florida and could not take the cat.

A forwarding phone number left by the man was to a pharmacy, and while the cat is microchipped, it was not registered so there is no possible way to follow-up with the owner.

While there’s no exact way to equate an animal’s age to human years, best estimates are that a 19-year-old cat is roughly 96-years-old in human years.

Tangee does have signs of early renal disease primarily due to her age, but overall she is in good health and is very friendly. She deserves to be out of the shelter and in a loving home for the holidays, and with your help, we will make it happen.

Home for the Holidays

For many, the holiday season brings feelings of warmth, comfort, and friendship – and our wish for you and all the animals in our care is to experience the joy of the holidays.

Your generous support made this wish come true for thousands of animals so far this year, including:

  • 4,420 pets and community cats who were spayed and neutered to keep them healthy
  • 2,770 animals who were rehabilitated and adopted into forever homes
  • 980 pets who received affordable pet wellness services in the convenience of their own community
  • 275 cats and dogs who were transported away from overcrowded shelters in other states

But this important work to help animals is not close to being done. Your support is critical to ensure that ARL is ready to respond when animals are in need of help. Please consider donating to ARL this holiday season, so together we can help animals like Tangee and thousands like her!

Surrendered Puppy Finds a Home for the Holidays

Back in July, Peaches, a one-year-old Fox Terrier, had a scary accident that would terrify any pet owner – she fell out of a second-story window!

Suffering a broken leg, her owners unfortunately could not afford the associated medical costs for such an injury and surrendered her to their local animal control officer.

Animal control reached out to the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL), who happily took the puppy in and started her on the road to recovery.

The leg was bandaged and splinted, and over the next 12 weeks Peaches had a regimented routine.

Every week the leg was cleaned, re-bandaged and splinted, and every four weeks Peaches would be x-rayed to see how she was healing.

With a lengthy recovery at hand, Peaches was placed into foster care some extra TLC, and to heal in a quiet, stress-free environment.

While in foster care, Peaches made such an impression that her foster home became her forever home!

Home for the Holidays

For many, the holiday season brings feelings of warmth, comfort, and friendship – and our wish for you and all the animals in our care is to experience the joy of the holidays.

Your generous support made this wish come true for thousands of animals so far this year, including:

  • 4,420 pets and community cats who were spayed and neutered to keep them healthy
  • 2,770 animals who were rehabilitated and adopted into forever homes
  • 980 pets who received affordable pet wellness services in the convenience of their own community
  • 275 cats and dogs who were transported away from overcrowded shelters in other states

But this important work to help animals is not close to being done. Your support is critical to ensure that ARL is ready to respond when animals are in need of help. Please consider donating to ARL this holiday season, so together we can help animals like Peaches and thousands like her!

Home for the Holidays

For many, the holiday season brings feelings of warmth, comfort, and friendship – and our wish for you and all the animals in our care is to experience the joy of the holidays.

Your generous support made this wish come true for thousands of animals so far this year, including:

  • 4,420 pets and community cats who were spayed and neutered to keep them healthy
  • 2,770 animals who were rehabilitated and adopted into forever homes
  • 980 pets who received affordable pet wellness services in the convenience of their own community
  • 275 cats and dogs who were transported away from overcrowded shelters in other states

But this important work to help animals is not close to being done.

In the last two months alone, ARL rescued over 160 animals from the horrors of neglect — and even more cases are under active investigation.  There has been a troubling increase in the number of animal cruelty and hoarding-type cases that result in a sudden influxes of animals in dire need, which is why your donations are critical to make sure we can stand ready to answer the call for help at any time.

At the same time, our shelter population is changing and we are seeing more animals with complex medical and behavior issues that require additional resources, skilled staff, and extra time to improve.

These animals need you now more than ever, and it’s not too late to help!

Animals give us so much.  Please consider giving back by donating today.

symbolic gifts

Thank you for your thoughtful year-end gift that makes happier lives possible for animals all year long!

Need assistance or want to give by phone? Please call us at (617) 426-9170 x603

Prefer to donate by check? Please have it postmarked by December 31, so that it may be considered tax-deductible for 2019 to the extent allowed by IRS regulations.

ARL Partners with MAF for Fall River Spay/Neuter Clinic

38 animals receive surgery on ARL’s Spay Waggin’

On Monday, December 2, the Animal Rescue League of Boston’s (ARL) Spay Waggin’ was in Fall River to spay or neuter 38 cats, as part of an ongoing statewide effort by the Massachusetts Animal Fund (MAF).

The clinic is in collaboration with Fall River Animal Control and the Massachusetts Animal Fund’s (MAF) spay and neuter voucher program, which provides the surgery for low-income families free of charge.

Despite the poor weather, the turnout was fantastic, as 38 out of 40 appointments arrived in the early morning at the Fall River Fire Museum, to drop their pets off to receive not only the important surgery, but also a medical exam, nail trim, and vaccines and microchip if elected.

Due to demand, many pet owners bringing their animals to this clinic have been on the MAF’s waiting list for months, and thanks to ARL with MAF financial support, they will finally be able to provide their pets this important and beneficial surgical procedure.

While this is the first large-scale clinic of this type in Fall River, ARL and MAF are aware of the needs of the community, and are looking forward to similar clinics in the area in 2020 to help more animals in need and the people who care for them.

“This is a great service,” said one client. “Without it I wouldn’t be able to keep my pets, but they’re a part of the family and we love them.”

ARL’s Spay Waggin’ is a mobile surgical unit that offers high-quality, low-cost services to the South Shore, South Coast and Cape Cod. Since its inception in 2000, the Spay Waggin’ has provided more than 60,000 spay and neuter surgeries.

Since 2014, MAF has helped more than 12,000 animals through its spay/neuter voucher program, and is funded primarily by donations made on Line 33f of the Massachusetts income tax form.

Time to Find a Home!

Abandoned Pitbull Recovering After Complex Heart Procedure

The Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) is ecstatic to report that Gunner, the nine-month-old Pitbull-type dog that recently underwent a complex heart procedure, is making a fast recovery and is now ready to find his forever home!

Gunner suffers from Pulmonic Stenosis – a genetic heart defect that restricts blood flow from the heart to the lungs.

He underwent a Balloon Valvuloplasty (BV) procedure, which places a special balloon catheter across the stenotic pulmonic valve and then inflated to create a larger opening to allow better blood flow from the heart to the lungs.

Although starved and abandoned, Gunner has always displayed a friendly, outgoing and excitable personality, and since his procedure, he’s even more excited!

Ready to Go Home

**Update 12/9: Gunner has been adopted!**

With his surgery complete, Gunner is now ready to find his forever home.

While recovering wonderfully post-surgery, those interested in adopting Gunner will need to consider the medical factors before taking him home.

Upon adoption Gunner will need a recheck echocardiogram in 3-6 months, and then every 1-2 years after that.

Because Gunner’s first BV procedure went so well, the likelihood of an additional surgery at this point is low, however it may become necessary in the future.

Gunner is currently in a foster home, but anyone interested in meeting this amazing pup can contact ARL’s Boston Animal Care and Adoption Center to set up an appointment.

Double Your Impact for Animals Like Gunner!

With routine medical care, diagnostic testing, surgery, follow-up-care and rehabilitation, the cost of correcting Gunner’s heart problem was an expensive endeavor. However, Gunner is just one example of the extraordinary care ARL’s shelter medicine staff provides to every animal who comes into our care.

This level of care is not possible without your support. ARL does not receive any government grants or public funding, and relies solely on the generosity of individuals like you to make a difference, and in Gunner’s case – save a life.

By donating to ARL today, your gift will be matched dollar for dollar to double your impact!

ARL Removes 29 Cats from Overcrowding Situation

A recent welfare check at a Bristol County home by local police led to the removal of 29 cats by the Animal Rescue League of Boston’s (ARL) Law Enforcement Department.

Due to the high levels of ammonia in the home and safety concerns, local health officials would not allow ARL Law Enforcement and Field Services Departments to enter the dwelling without respirators with the highest-filtration-level charcoal filters to protect on-site workers.

With the help of local animal control officers, the 29 cats were removed from the home in about four hours, and transported to ARL’s Dedham and Boston Animal Care and Adoption Centers for evaluation and treatment.

The local building inspector and board of health condemned the home.

On the Mend

The majority of cats from this situation were socialized and friendly, and some have already found forever homes.

There were however, several animals with medical concerns that are commonly associated with animal overcrowding and unsanitary conditions.

A number of cats are suffering from upper respiratory infections, several had fleas and dry skin, and one cat required an eye to be removed.

As the health of these animals improves, they will be available for adoption once they are medically cleared.

ARL is Ready to Help

From rescuing, rehabilitating, and adoption, ARL is always ready to help animals like these 29 cats and to give them a second chance.

However, we cannot do it alone.

ARL receives no government grants or public funding, and relies solely on the generosity of individuals like you to make our important work possible.

Please join us by supporting ARL’s mission to keep animals safe and healthy in habitats and homes.

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