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A Special Request from Mary Nee…

Dear Friends,

In 2016 ARL’s 117 years of skill and experience was called to action time and time again—

ü Mobilizing an emergency clinic to vaccinate cats in Boston, protecting them from a fatal panleukopenia outbreak,
ü Expanding mobile spay and neutering services to an underserved neighborhood in New Bedford,
ü Finding over 2,380 animals new adoptive homes,
ü Successfully advocating for important legislation that adds further protection to companion animals and farm animals in Massachusetts and,
ü First on the scene and sounding the alarm to what is believed to be the Northeast’s largest case of farm animal abuse and neglect in Westport, MA.

HELP ANIMALS NOW

ARL takes action for animals in need and the people who care about them. We do this through our exceptional veterinary services and animal care, by connecting with communities where animals live, and by advocating for laws and policies to protect and prevent animal abuse.

For these reasons and more I am very proud to be part of this amazing organization. This pride not only guides my daily work but also my family’s charitable giving.

Like many of you, my husband Jim and I have supported several worthwhile charities, including those that fight to end homelessness, improve education for underprivileged children, and combat hate crimes.

My firsthand experience over the past four years has moved us to add ARL as a priority for our charitable giving. We are contributing a leadership gift because we believe that the work of ARL is an essential part of the society we want to live in; one that is humane and compassionate to all.

I am hoping you will join us and lend 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. 

Please 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.

Click to the red button below to…

HELP ANIMALS NOW

Thank you and best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year.

Sincerely,

Mary Nee
President, Animal Rescue League of Boston

Finding Positive Outcomes for Cats at Risk

ARL partners with other local organizations to help Pembroke cat colony

In early November 2016, a colony of community cats in Pembroke, Massachusetts found themselves in a dire situation; they lost their feeder and the property where they had been living was sold.

While there is no easy solution to helping community cats in this situation, the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL), along with many other animal welfare organizations, quickly rallied together to make sure that these cats had the best possible outcome.

Community cat colonies usually form due to a conducive environment, however, since a new caretaker could not be secured in their neighborhood, all efforts were focused on finding other alternatives for these cats.

Independent trappers began the process of trapping cats on this property (a procedure normally referred to as T-N-R, trap, neuter, return). However, with this particular colony, the goal was to see how many cats exhibited friendly behaviors*. If determined as friendly, the cats would either be adopted out as indoor companion animals, or could live safely outside on a barn property as a barn cat.

Cats like Bella, Namara, and Thumbelina, were spayed on ARL’s Spay Waggin’, discovered to be friendly, and transferred to ARL’s Safford Memorial Shelter in Dedham where they were adopted out to their forever homes.

A great outcome for these sweet cats!

Thumbelina pictured with her new dad.

Thumbelina is one of the many community cats who benefited from the swift help of the ARL and other local organizations, when her neighborhood feeder could no longer care for her.

Bella in Dedham's Adoption Center

Bella, formerly a community cat of Pembroke, waiting to be adopted at ARL’s Safford Memorial Shelter in Dedham, MA. It wasn’t long before this sweet kitty found her forever home!

thumbelina with her new family

Cats like Namara, pictured here with her new family, were determined friendly enough to be adopted!

Thank you to everyone who was involved with the plight of these cats, including the MSPCA, Standish Humane Society, independent trappers, and the State of Massachusetts, who provided funding for the spays, neuters, and vaccinations of these cats through the Massachusetts Animal Fund.

You Can Help Too!

Keep community cats safe this winter by building your own DIY cat shelter in your yard or to donate to a local rescue with this basic how-to video.

*Friendly cats show signs of wanting to interact with people, feral cats do not.

Court Prohibits Owner of Westport Property Farm

Update:

In July of this year, ARL’s Law Enforcement team, staff, and volunteers, along with other humane organizations and law enforcement departments, went to the aid of and helped remove more than 1,400 animals living in deplorable conditions on a 70-acre property located at 465 American Legion Road in Westport, MA.

Dog at Westport scene

Last month, many people were dismayed to learn that farm animals were being reintroduced to that same property.

Fortunately, on November 9, 2016, Superior Court Justice Renee Dupuis issued an Order which, for the time being, prohibits Medeiros from returning any animals to the property and orders him to remove any animals owned by him from the property.

To the extent that Medeiros has authority over third parties using the property, animals belonging to the third parties cannot be returned and any animals on the property now must be removed.

The Court further ordered that Medeiros allow the Westport Animal Inspector access to inspect the animals; retain a pest control expert to address the need for rat control; retain a disposal service to address the issues of “solid waste” removal; and prohibits the use of all structures on the property.

The Court will hold a further hearing on December 7, 2016.

TODAY ONLY! We’ll Match Your Donation for Animals

Make a donation before midnight and we’ll match it for #GivingTuesday 

Donate now for 2x the impact

Only because of YOUR support are animals like Izzy able to get through a life-threatening experience!

Earlier this year, a stray black cat arrived at ARL’s Boston shelter with dislocated tarsal (ankle) joints. Izzy, as she came to be known, had a noticeably wobbly walk and a limited gait. 

Because her legs were not stable enough to maintain a normal lifestyle, ARL’s veterinarians determined that Izzy would have to undergo major surgery to help her walk properly.

A $3,000 procedure was performed on both hind legs to correct Izzy’s joints by removing the affected bone and placing bone grafts and metal plates to stabilize the leg. Despite her postoperative discomfort, Izzy was the perfect patient and remained exuberantly friendly to her caretakers

Izzy at ARL Boston

Izzy recovering after her surgery at ARL’s Boston shelter.

While surgery was the first step to getting Izzy back up on her paws, her recovery process afterward was just as critical. Not only did Izzy benefit from ARL’s shelter and veterinary staff, but also from our foster care program – made up entirely of volunteers. ARL’s foster care program enables trained volunteers to bring animals into their home and rehabilitate them away from the stressful shelter environment.

For two months, Izzy’s foster mom, Angela Wehr, carefully monitored the recovering feline’s movements by lifting her, so she wouldn’t jump, and by only using toys that Izzy could swat at while remaining stationary. Big movements during this phase can cause long-term damage, so this special program was vital to her recovery. 

Izzy recently came back to the ARL for her follow-up appointment—the last hurdle before being cleared for adoption– and passed her veterinary exams with flying colors! Her gait is nearly normal and she’ll be able to function perfectly well as an indoor cat, pain-free in her affected joints… and NO long-term medical issues!

Izzy at home

Thanks to supporters like YOU, Izzy is now safe and healthy in her permanent home!

Over 14,000 animals come through ARL every year seeking immediate attention just like Izzy.

Because ARL is an essential resource for animals in need and the people who care about them, ARL’s Board Chair Malcolm McDonald and an anonymous donor have teamed up to offer this exciting #GivingTuesday challenge:

Raise $25,000 and they will match it!*

That means your donation TODAY can go twice as far.

Donate now for 2x the impact


THEY COUNT ON US, SO WE COUNT ON YOU: When you express your love for animals, compassion, and kindness with a gift of $100 or more for #GivingTuesday, we’ll feature your and/or your pet’s name on our Wall of Honor online at arlboston.org, available for viewing on December 6; just type your pet’s name into the ‘Additional Comments’ section of our online donation form.

 

*All money raised will go toward direct animal care; however the match will apply to the first $25,000 to be donated.

Tomorrow: We’ll DOUBLE your donation!

Donate on #GivingTuesday and make 2x the impact for animals like Mayfield 

Donate now for 2x the impact

Your unwavering support helps prevent the cruelty, suffering, and neglect of over 14,000 animals every year. Without you, ARL would be unable to provide the special police investigation necessary to protect animals across the Commonwealth.

All thanks to friends like YOU, animals like Mayfield now have a bright future ahead of them…

Earlier this year, a concerned citizen noticed something odd with the trash put out around Norfolk Street in Dorchester, MA. In the middle of the garbage to be collected was a birdcage filled with maggots and cockroaches– and an Umbrella Cockatoo.

ARL quickly responded to the call to help the discarded bird, later named Mayfield, and brought her in for immediate veterinary care. Weak and emaciated, it was determined that Mayfield had a serious medical condition and would require emergency surgery.

Mayfield

The concerned citizen reported finding Mayfield’s birdcage filled with maggots and cockroaches.

Despite all she’d been through, Mayfield maintained an upbeat attitude while she recovered in foster care post-surgery. Several weeks later, Mayfield was healthy enough for adoption.

Today, we’re happy to share that Mayfield is doing well by all accounts. “We took her to see the veterinarian for a check-up and received uplifting news,” says Mayfield’s owner. “Her incision is healing incredibly well and she’s finally gaining weight.”

Mayfield

Mayfield, pictured above, healing at ARL Boston after her emergency surgery.

Mayfield

Thanks to supporters like you, Mayfield was able to fully recover and enjoy a safe and healthy life with her adopters.

Sadly, Mayfield is not the first animal we’ve seen abandoned in the trash or on the streets. Your donations today allow us to continue our important work so that we can prevent cases of animal neglect from happening in the future.

Because ARL is an essential resource for animals in need and the people who care about them, ARL’s Board Chair Malcolm McDonald and an anonymous donor have teamed up to offer this exciting challenge:

Raise $25,000 and they will match it!*

That means your donation for #GivingTuesday 2016 can go twice as far.

Donate now for 2x the impact


WE’RE HONORED BY YOUR GENEROSITY: When you express your love for animals, compassion, and kindness with a gift of $100 or more for #GivingTuesday, we’ll feature your and/or your pet’s name on our Wall of Honor online at arlboston.org, available for viewing on December 6; just type your pet’s name into the ‘Additional Comments’ section of our online donation form.

 

*All money raised will go toward direct animal care; however the match will apply to the first $25,000 to be donated.

Hot off the Press: Our Four-Footed Friends

Check out the many ways YOUR support helped animals in need in 2016

ARL-Magazine-fall2016-Magazine-cover-400x520

Click the image above to read the Fall/Winter 2016 edition of Our Four-Footed Friends.

The Fall/Winter 2016 edition of Our Four-Footed Friends (OFFF) is here!

For more than 100 years, ARL has responded to the needs of animals and the people who care about them. In fact, we are often the first to respond, as seen in the recent Westport farm animal cruelty case, featured on Page 10.

All thanks to YOUR critical support, this year we served thousands of animals through our outstanding veterinary care, adoption, rescue services, special police investigation, and advocacy.

Read the incredible stories about what you helped make possible…

Today, we increasingly focus on prevention and the impact we can have on more animals; keeping them out of shelters and in the communities where they belong.

YOU make our important work possible – THANK YOU!

Stay in touch between editions: visit arlboston.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Bay State Goes Cage Free

THANK YOU to everyone who voted YES ON 3!

It’s official: Massachusetts voters said YES to stopping farm animal cruelty in last night’s historic election. An incredible 77.7% of Bay State residents voted yes on ballot Question 3, The Act to Prevent Cruelty to Farm Animals.

This groundbreaking ballot question is a great first step towards animal welfare protection in the Commonwealth. By 2022, highly-restrictive cages must be phased out giving farm animals enough space to turn around and extend their limbs. The ballot question will also protect Massachusetts families from substandard and unsafe food products.

citizens for farm animal protectionClick here to read more via The Boston Globe.

Animal welfare supporters from all over Massachusetts made last night’s vote a resounding victory. The ARL offers our sincerest thanks to the MSPCA, Franklin Park Zoo, The Humane League – Boston, Mercy For Animals, Farm Forward, Compassion in World Farming (USA), Animal Equality, Farm Sanctuary, the Mass Sierra Club, HSUS, ASPCA, and the hundreds of  other animal welfare groups, farmers, veterinarians, local businesses, and individuals who helped support this momentous effort to end the extreme confinement of farm animals!

Since the Summer of 2015, ARL’s volunteers and staff spent countless hours helping to collect over 170,000 signatures to get The Act to Prevent Cruelty to Farm Animals on the 2017 ballot, as well as educating Massachusetts consumers about the importance of voting YES ON 3.

“When there’s an effort to improve the protection and treatment of animals – whether they are companion, working, or farm animals – the ARL is here to help,” says ARL’s President Mary Nee.

Massachusetts isn’t alone… Ten states have already passed similar laws and nearly 200 major food retailers, such as McDonalds’s, Walmart, and Dollar Tree, and restaurant chains have policies phasing them out as well.

3 Reasons to Vote YES on 3

Prevent farm animal cruelty with just one vote: YES on Question 3!

With Election Day only a few short days away, the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) wants to remind you why this is such an important election year. Sure, you’re voting for the next President of the United States — but you’re also voting YES to stop unnecessary farm animal cruelty and YES to protecting Massachusetts families from unsafe food products.

Endorsed by the ARL and all of Massachustts’ major animal welfare groups, The Act to Prevent Cruelty to Farm Animals, ballot Question 3, is a modest animal protection and food safety measure that will prevent breeding pigs, chickens, and calves from being confined in cages so small they can’t even turn around or extend their limbs.

Here are 3 reasons to vote YES on 3:

  1. Promotes responsible farming. Question 3 phases out the use of highly-restrictive cages by 2022, giving producers and retailers ample time to comply with the modest requirement that farm animals have enough space to turn yes on 3 blog thumbaround and extend their limbs.
  2. Protects food safety. Industrial animal operations put consumers’ health at risk. Unable to move and constantly stressed, confined animals suffer from weakened immune systems that lead to illness. The Center for Food Safety endorses Question 3 because numerous studies show that egg operations that confine hens in cages have higher rates of Salmonella, the leading cause of food poisoning-related death in humans in America.
  3. Makes economic sense. Most Massachusetts farmers are already cage-free and have shown that affordable food can be produced with animal welfare in mind. According to a study conducted by the egg industry itself, it costs just a penny per egg to produce cage-free eggs rather than battery cage eggs. The pork industry published a study that determined it can cost 11 percent less not to use gestation crates. In addition to the ten states that have passed laws prohibiting certain types of extreme confinement, nearly 200 major food retailers, such as McDonalds’s, Walmart, and Dollar Tree, and restaurant chains have policies phasing them out.

When you hit the polls on Tuesday, November 8, don’t forget to vote YES on Question 3 to prevent farm animal cruelty!

Vote YES on Question 3

Election Day is Tuesday, November 8 – Don’t forget to vote YES on ballot Question 3 to prevent farm animal cruelty!

The Act to Prevent Cruelty to Farm Animals, on the ballot as Question 3, is a modest animal protection and food safety measure that will prevent breeding pigs, chickens, and calves from being confined in cages so small they can’t even turn around or extend their limbs. A YES vote on Question 3 will also protect Massachusetts families from substandard and unsafe food products.

Question 3 is endorsed by all of Massachusetts’ major animal welfare groups, including the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL), MSPCA, Berkshire Humane Society, Dakin Humane Society, and Zoo New England, as well as national charities like the ASPCA and the Humane Society of the United States and more than 500 Massachusetts veterinarians.

citizens for farm animal protection

The amount of  “personal space” each hen has is smaller than an iPad.

Why Vote YES on Question 3?

  • The vast majority of pork sold in the Commonwealth comes from industrial factory farms where pigs used for breeding are confined in narrow crates so small they can’t even turn around. This limitation in movement results in a lifetime of crippling pain and emotional distress. Calves raised for veal are often confined in similar conditions.
  • Most of the eggs sold in Massachusetts come from industrial egg producers that cram hens into cages so small the birds can’t even spread their wings. Packed five or more to a cage, each hen spends her whole life in a space smaller than an iPad. Chickens often suffer from bone fractures, feather-loss, and can die from starvation or dehydration.

Your vote counts, so please vote YES on Question 3 this Election Day!

ARL Focuses on Low Stress Handling for Felines

3 techniques used by Shelter Veterinary Services to keep cats happy and healthy during exams

At the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) our Shelter Veterinary Services provide high quality, compassionate care to a variety of species. Cats, however, continue to comprise the greater part of our shelter population.

In an effort to expand our Shelter Veterinary Services’ ability to provide care that not only addresses the medical health of our cats, but also their behavioral well-being, Jessica Wright, ARL’s Lead Veterinary Technician, recently became certified in “Low Stress Handling Techniques” via Dr. Sophia Yin’s online course. The certification process required a commitment of at least 20 hours, during which online lectures and labs were viewed and follow up discussion questions and exams were completed.

As an organization, the ARL strives to reduce the stress that our shelter cats inevitably experience while in our care. These efforts can be seen in the double sided cages that the cats reside in, and the hiding boxes that each cat is offered. Upon completion of the Low Stress Handling course, Jessica was excited to incorporate the new techniques she had learned into the Shelter Veterinary Services’ daily rounds.

The 3 Low Stress Handling techniques that the ARL uses for felines are:

  1. Picture1Adjusting the methods by which a cat is moved between the cage and the exam room. To avoid exposing the cat to any number of stressors that may be encountered while moving between spaces, cats are now wrapped in a towel for transport. Some cats prefer to have their head exposed allowing them to look about whereas others prefer to have their head covered. This use of the towel allows the removal of potentially stressful visual stimulation and provides the cat with the feeling of being adequately supported.
  2. Incorporating the use of towels for comfort. Rather than sitting on a cold metal exam table, the cats now sit on the towel they were brought to the exam room with. This provides a sense of comfort for each patient. In addition, depending upon the behavior Picture2of each cat, a second towel may be placed over the cat. This again removes any potentially stressful visual stimulation and allows for more ease of handling of the cat during examination.
  3. Introducing food during examination. As surprising as it may be, many cats will often eat a snack during an exam or vaccination. Providing food to the patient can act as a distraction from any potentially negative or stressful event that may occur. In addition, if the cat chooses to eat during these procedures, a positive emotional response is encouraged rather than the typical fearful or stressed response often associated with veterinary care.

As a result of the introduction of Low Stress Handling Techniques, our shelter cats are that much more happy and healthy!

YOU can help keep shelter cats low-stress too: Please consider making a donation of regular sized bath towels to enable the ARL to continue our Low Stress Handling efforts! Donations can be dropped off at our Boston Adoption Center lobby located at 10 Chandler Street in Boston, Tuesday through Sunday, 7:30AM – 6:30PM.