Animals Archives - Animal Rescue League of Boston

Articles Tagged with: Animals

A Call to Protect Animals from Harmful Rodeo Practices

In the following letter, Dr. Edward Schettino, DVM, PhD, CAWA, ARL’s President & CEO, outlines ARL’s concerns about the return of the Boston Rodeo.

The Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) strongly opposes rodeo practices that subject animals to fear, distress, pain, or risk of injury for the purpose of competition and entertainment. No tradition or form of entertainment justifies compromising the welfare of animals. ARL is calling for protections to prevent rodeo practices and implements that unnecessarily cause animals pain, fear, distress, or injury.

On October 16-17, the Boston Rodeo will return to the city for a second year, bringing two days of Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) competition to Boston’s Seaport. When the rodeo came to Boston last year, ARL raised serious concerns about these practices and reached out to make our position known. Those concerns remain today. We are deeply disappointed to see the event return and believe rodeo practices that put animal welfare at risk have no place in a city and state that have demonstrated a strong commitment to protecting animals.

The public deserves to understand what animals may experience during traditional rodeo events. We urge those considering attending or supporting the Boston Rodeo to look beyond the spectacle, learn more about the practices involved, and consider whether this is the type of entertainment they want to support.

Rodeos may be marketed as celebrations of Western sport, culture, and tradition, but tradition does not excuse the treatment of these animals. Despite claims of high standards of care, many traditional rodeo events involve animals being chased, restrained, roped, and subjected to situations that can cause fear and distress, all for the sake of sport and competition.

This year, ARL will continue raising awareness and will once again voice our opposition and urge the Boston City Council to address the animal welfare concerns associated with rodeos. Massachusetts has taken meaningful action to protect animals used for entertainment in the past, and it’s time for Boston to again be a leader in animal welfare and to extend that commitment to rodeos.

Sincerely,

Edward Schettino, DVM, PhD, CAWA
President & CEO

Bark-To-School Shopping Event with LoveShackFancy

Celebrate the Back-To-School season with the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) and LoveShackFancy at The Street in Chestnut Hill. Enjoy an afternoon of shopping, adorable pups, and community while browsing LoveShackFancy’s latest collection.

Best of all, 15% of sales during the event will be donated to ARL, helping provide lifesaving care and support for animals in need.

National Pet Fire Safety Day

Too Hot for Spot^®: “National Pet Fire Safety Day” Tips to Keep Pets Safe

July 15 is National Pet Fire Safety Day and it reminds us that pets are often vulnerable victims of home fires. An estimated 500,000 pets are affected annually by house fires, according to a data analysis by the National Fire Protection Association.

Planning for unexpected emergencies like home fires and taking these precautions are an integral part of responsible pet ownership. The following tips are suggestions for pet owners on how to prevent your beloved pet from starting a fire, as well as how to keep your pets safe.

What you can do to keep your pets safe:

Keep Pets Near Entrances When Away From Home – Keep collars on pets and leashes ready to go in case firefighters need to rescue your pet. When leaving pets home alone, keep them in areas or rooms near entrances where firefighters can easily find them.
Secure Young Pets – Especially with young puppies, keep them confined away from potential fire-starting hazards when you are away from home such as in crates or behind baby gates in secure areas.
Since Pets Left Alone Can’t Escape a Burning Home – Consider using monitored smoke detectors which are connected to a monitoring center so emergency responders can be contacted when you’re not home. These systems provide an added layer of protection beyond battery-operated smoke alarms.
Affix a Pet Alert Window Cling Like Ours – Write down the number of pets inside your house and attach a “Pet Rescue” decal to your front window. This critical information can help save rescuers time when locating your pets. Make sure to update the number of pets listed.

Special thanks to all of the firefighters out there who put their own lives at risk every day to help people and their pets.

More information about summer pet safety.

Happy Tail Tuesday: Tuukka a Middleboro Puppy

1 Year Later, Tuukka’s One of the Kids

Tuukka today.

During a drug and weapons raid on a home in Middleboro in October of 2013, the police found 13 puppies in a small crate. The tiny puppies were rescued and brought to the Animal Rescue League.

After extensive time with our foster volunteers, where they grew strong enough to come to our adoption centers, the puppies were all adopted out to loving homes.

Their story touched the hearts of people across Eastern Massachusetts and their photos graced the cover of the Fall 2013 edition of the ARL’s magazine.

One year later, we are happy to report that the puppies are healthy and doing well. We have a very special update on one of the puppies named Tuukka (f.k.a Ollie).

Celebrating his 1st birthday.

According to his new family, Tuukaa is “the biggest love. He needs to be next to someone at all times.” Hi mom said, he “literally is our ‘baby’.”

It’s been an exciting year for Tuukka between fun with kids, vacations and his first birthday, he’s been a busy pup. He took his first vacations this summer to Newport, RI and New Hampshire and loved exploring the new places. On August 27 he turned one and his family celebrated in style by taking him to Petco and spoiling him with gourmet treats, new toys and a goofy birthday hat.

Tuukka absolutely loves children and is a big cuddle bug whenever someone comes over to pet him. According to his owners, “he is definitely the best dog ever.”

Not only does Tuukka have a great new family, but he actually gets to see his real dad. A relative of the family adopted Tuukka’s father, named Dante, also seized during the Middleboro raid.

Tuukka (L) with his father Dante (R)

Dante is doing great as well. He’s a big couch potato and loves lounging around. He and Tuukka are the best of friends and enjoy playing together. Tuukka loves to antagonize his dad, as all sons do, and Dante is so good with him, as if he knows that his son is just a baby and must be handled with patience and care.

Tuukka’s owners just had a baby and report that Tuukka has adjusted great around the newborn. He gets very concerned when he cries and tries comforting him by licking him. Congratulations, to Tuukka’s family on their newest addition! We’re so happy that Tuukka found such a loving family who clearly cares so much about him! Everyone at the ARL wishes you all the best.

Tuukka and the kids, including the family’s new baby. Congrats!

Madeline Update: Sweet Survivor Cat is the Princess of the House

A Happy Tail for Your Caturday

Madline enjoys spending time gazing out the window.

We just got an update on Madeline, the sweet survivor cat we told you about back in June!

Madeline’s fur had been so thickly matted that she had lost the ability to walk. Thanks to the dedicated staff at our Dedham shelter, Madeline made a great recovery.

Today Maddie, as her new family calls her, is definitely the princess of the house! She is walking well, given her mobility issues, and can climb up and down the stairs in her home.

Maddie’s new-found joy is playing with catnip toys and a fluffy mouse on the end of a string. She plays with both the mouse end and the string end and gets very excited when the string twirls around and she has to grab it.

Her fur is growing back, slowly, but surely. The fur around her face is now very full, and she loves sitting up straight and puffing up a bit to get admiration from anyone looking in her direction! Her adopters say that “Maddie is a wonderful addition to our family and we love her very much!”

Thanks to you, Maddie is clearly getting the royal treatment in her new home!

Deaf Dog Wiggles Her Way into Staff Member’s Heart

Bringing Awareness to Special Needs Pets

Here at the Animal Rescue League of Boston, our staff have all sorts of pets, and among them is a deaf dog named Tippy. What better time to share her story with you than during Deaf Pet Awareness Week? Read on to learn about Tippy.

Tippy

A little over 8 years ago, Maryann Regan, director of shelter operations at the ARL, was managing the animal intake office of our Boston adoption center when a local animal control officer brought in an extremely wiggly and happy white dog.

The officer explained that the municipal shelter had no room and wanted to know if we had kennel space to house this stray dog. “Almost the moment the officer handed the leash over to me,” says Maryann, “this dog was tugging at my heart strings. She immediately began to give me kisses and her wiggles were out of control- she seemed like a very happy, sweet girl!”

Maryann found herself spending extra time with her, –going for long walks, giving her extra play time in the play yard, and sharing a few extra treats. Something told her that this dog was meant for her family.

“I introduced her to my husband and it was love at first site. We decided, after her medical exam and behavior evaluation, we would adopt her as long as she and the other family members got along. The other family members are two senior cats that also have a very special place in our hearts.”

During her behavior evaluation, the wiggly white dog performed true to form–high energy, playful, happy, and sweet!

As affectionate and people-oriented as she behaved, however, she also tended to ignore us when we called for her.

Maryann explains: “It wasn’t consistent with what she was typically displaying in her personality because she was usually very concerned or interested in being near every person she met. She loved people! Then, why was she ignoring us?”

The pre-adoption medical evaluation identified the issue: this dog was deaf.

“It’s not uncommon for white animals to be deaf. This dog was all white, with the exception of a few, adorable black dots here and there bounced around on her body,” says Maryann. “All the times we called for her attention that she did not respond to was not her ignoring us, she simply couldn’t hear us.”

Neither Maryann or her husband had experience with a deaf dog, but Maryann felt confident that they could educate themselves on how to handle her appropriately. “I had such a strong bond with this dog, I had no reservations about doing all the homework necessary to make this a successful adoption for us, the cats and for her.”

So, if you’re considering adding a pet to your family, don’t overlook deaf pets in your search.

Camping with Your Dog

Too Hot for Spot Tuesday: Tips for Safely Camping with Your Dog

Labor Day weekend is just around the corner! For those of us trying to squeeze in a last minute weekend trip before the dog days of summer slip away, it’s important to keep our pet’s safety in mind if we plan on bringing the pup along for the adventure.

Photo: Petswelcome.com

Here are 6 tips that will help keep your dog safe during your next over-night camping trip :

If your dog doesn’t regularly get flea/tick treatment, make sure you apply it at least a few days before the trip.
Make sure that your pet has proper ID on his/her collar at all times and a reflective collar if he/she will be out on the campsite at night.
Bring a pet first aid kit. It is always better to be prepared and often remote campsites will not have quick access to veterinary care. (We’ve been handing out pet emergency backpacks with pet first aid kits at our events)
Do some research and locate the closest animal emergency clinic and add its contact information to your phone.
Pet proof! Before you let your pet out on your campsite, thoroughly inspect the area to make sure other campers haven’t left anything behind like broken bottles or spoiled food.
Don’t let your pet roam. Because your pet is not familiar with the area, he could get lost, fall into a river, or become stuck. Other well-meaning campers may feed him something toxic or may have rat poison out in their campsite. He also may have a run in with some not-so-well meaning wildlife.

For more summer safety tips visit: arlboston.org/summer-safety

Thanks to You, S2345 Passes in Massachusetts

S.2345 Passed Both Chambers! On its way to the Governor’s Desk!

Thanks to you, S.2345 passed the State House and Senate! The bill takes effect in 90 days once it’s signed into law by Governor Patrick.

S. 2345 (formerly called H.4328/ H.4244) increases maximum penalties for animal abuse from 5 years to 7 years in prison and $2,500 to $5,000 in fines.

In addition, the bill requires veterinarians to report suspected animal abuse. Also included in the new law is the creation of a task force comprised of experts in law enforcement, animal protection, veterinary medicine and the law to systematically and comprehensively evaluate the state’s cruelty statutes to ensure continued progress.

“Today is a historic day for this legislative body, for the citizens of Massachusetts and—most especially—for animals,” said State Representative Lou Kafka, who was key in moving the bill through the House.

Phone calls to legislators from animal lovers across the state made the critical difference in creating a sense of urgency to getting the bill through.

“Thanks to the hard work of legislators and animal welfare supporters throughout Massachusetts, we will now have a law in place that strengthens our ability to prevent cruelty and will dramatically improve the welfare of animals in Massachusetts,” praised ARL president, Mary Nee.

Thank you to everyone who took action and gave a voice to the victims of animal cruelty!

Visit arlboston.org/take-action for more on S.2345 and what you can do to prevent animal cruelty.

SUGAR Waited 399 Days for this Sweet Moment

Sugar – A Young Horse at our Dedham Shelter Finally Found a Home this Weekend!

After 399 days at the Animal Rescue League’s shelter in Dedham, Sugar, a playful three-year-old filly, went home with a wonderful new family over the weekend. She’ll be living on beautiful Cape Cod with a family that’s excited to take on the feat of starting her under a saddle and treating her like a family pet.

Sugar first came to us with her mother back in July of 2013 after we rescued her from a small tenant farm in Southeastern, MA. She was severely neglected – left on a muddy paddock with no food or water – and had never been trained to interact with humans.

Thanks to the dedicated efforts of our Dedham staff who worked with Sugar regularly to teach her to trust humans again, this great horse will make a great companion for her new family.

On Saturday, Sugar walked onto the trailer carefree and ready for her next adventure!

We’re so happy that this fantastic family has brought Sugar into their lives and are giving her the chance to be a beloved pet and best friend to their 16-year-old daughter!

How to Calm Your Dog During a Thunderstorm

Too Hot for Spot Tuesday Tip: Thunderstorm Dog Safety

If you’re like some dog owners, you’ve probably had several sleepless nights over the last week thanks to your dog’s “thunder phobia” resulting from the severe thunderstorms that have been plaguing the Northeast.

This fear can manifest in a variety of ways including – hiding, whining, scratching, slobbering, or destructive behavior – and it can get worse with age. Dogs possess special sensitivities that can make storms more terrifying. They can sense the change in air pressure, and may hear low-frequency rumblings that we, humans, can’t detect.

So, if you want to help calm your pup (and hopefully get some “shut-eye”) during the next thunderstorm, try these 5 tips:

Stay with your dog if you can. Having you by his side will make him feel safer.
If there are windows in the room, close the blinds or curtains, or cover the windows so the dog can’t see outside.
Create a safe haven. Hiding is a natural instinct, so provide your dog with a safe indoor area, like a crate. If you have a wire crate, cover it with a light sheet. Leave the door open so your dog doesn’t feel trapped.
Play calming music to drown out the thunder.
Distract your dog. Try playing his favorite game and giving him treats. He might learn to associate storms with fun and play, rather than anxiety and fear.

If none of these work and your dog’s “thunder phobia” is really out of control, consult with your veterinarian.

For more summer pet safety tips visit: arlboston.org/summer-safety.

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A Call to Protect Animals from Harmful Rodeo Practices

Bark-To-School Shopping Event with LoveShackFancy

National Pet Fire Safety Day