MSPCA-Angell

This week, our Community Outreach teams stepped up to turn Giving Tuesday into Giving BACK Tuesday. This dedicated team, supported by an army of MSPCA-Angell staff and volunteers, held vaccination clinics and pop up food pantries in five communities across Massachusetts. The goal was to vaccinate 250 animals and distribute 50,000 pet meals in communities where resources are most needed and we’re thrilled to announce that we blew our goal out of the water! Our teams provided vaccinations and microchips to 339 dogs and cats and distributed 105,000 pet meals, as well as hundreds of toys, collars, leashes, bowls, beds and more to families in Dorchester, Lynn, Lawrence, Springfield and Wareham! Thank you to everyone who generously supported our Catsgiving Food Drive, especially Hill's Pet Nutrition! This incredible, important work would not have been possible without you!

It’s that time of year again - celebrate Catsgiving with us! Each year at Thanksgiving, we hold a food drive to help pets in need and this year, as many families experience food insecurity, we need your help! Consider sending a bag through our wishlists at www.mspca.org/wishlist, or drop food off right at our shelters! Help us ensure that no pet goes hungry this holiday season! Happy CATsgiving!!

We're #hiring a new Behavior Manager in Boston, Massachusetts. Apply today or share this post with your network.

When your pet is in need of urgent care, Angell Animal Medical Center offers convenient afternoon and evening appointments at our Angell West location in Waltham. Whether it's a sudden injury, illness, or an unexpected emergency, our team of board-certified specialists, certified veterinary technicians, and dedicated support staff are here to provide one-on-one, compassionate care. Jameson, an active and outdoor-loving dog, came to us this morning for urgent care after his mom noticed he was limping. Dr. Pakravan and Carley quickly discovered that his paw pad was swollen and had discharge—he was diagnosed with a paw pad abscess, likely caused by a nature walk over the weekend. Jameson’s treatment plan includes a bandage for the day, followed by Epsom salt paw soaks, antibiotics, and pain meds to help him recover. His mom is relieved that he’ll be back on his paws soon and can continue enjoying his outdoor adventures. Jameson is also a regular at Angell’s Dermatology and Internal Medicine departments, receiving collaborative care from Dr. Painter and Dr. Ackley. At Angell, we pride ourselves on providing seamless, comprehensive care across all departments, ensuring your pet receives the best treatment every step of the way. Urgent Care is available Monday through Friday, from 8 am-6 pm, and can be accessed by calling 781-902-8400 for dogs and cats, or 617-989-1561 for exotic animals. Oue collaborative approach ensures that your pet receives the most comprehensive and efficient care, no matter where their treatment takes them. 

We recently celebrated Advocacy Director Kara Holmquist and her 30 years of animal advocacy at the State House! Legislators, friends, and colleagues gathered to award Kara with MULTIPLE honorary citations, congratulating her on her 30 years of fighting for animals in The Commonwealth. Great work, Kara! Thank you to Senator Becca Rausch, State Representative Brian Ashe, and State Representative Jim Hawkins for awarding citations, and to Rep. Jack Patrick Lewis and Senator Jason Lewis for celebrating with us!

It's National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week! We want to take a moment to celebrate all the hard work our staff and volunteers do each and every day. Our shelter personnel are the lifeblood of the MSPCA and we’re so proud of them! Over the past several years we’ve expanded our programs to find new ways to make sure we’re helping the largest number of animals possible – because that’s why we’re all here – and our staff have stepped up and exceeded expectations with each new turn taken. They are taking in seizures of animals through Law Enforcement. They are doing health and behavior checks, surgeries, and wellness on multiple transports of animals a week in our constantly expanding transport program. They are creating behavior plans and building trust with struggling shelter animals. They are administering daily medical care to those who need it. They are having compassionate conversations with members of the public on some of the best and worst days of their lives. They are traveling to help other regions. Above all, they are helping animals, so many animals - and each other through the highs and lows of our work here. Whether they’re giving an animal an extra treat or a cozy blanket to make their stay a little easier, helping an owner find resources for their pet, supporting an owner who had to make a tough decision to relinquish a beloved pet, or celebrating an animal adoption, it’s the small things they do day in and day out that make a positive impact. Please join us in celebrating just how inspirational they are – they don’t get recognized enough!

We were thrilled to join Boston City Council at their Lunch and Learn to discuss the work we do in the community and our resources available to Boston residents. Thank you to Councilor Ben Weber for hosting us and to all the Councilors and staff for your warm welcome and interest in what we do!

Yesterday was a wonderful ending to 22 years of hard work. We joined Governor Maura Healey, coalition partners, advocates, and legislators at the ceremonial signing of legislation to prohibit the use of elephants, big cats, primates, bears, and giraffes in traveling shows in Massachusetts! Thank you to the advocates across the state who worked so hard to make this happen — your calls, emails, meetings, testimony, lobby days - it all mattered! Thank you to all of our coalition partners over the years - The Humane Society of the United States, Animal Legal Defense Fund, FOUR PAWS, Berkshire Voters for Animals, Franklin Park Zoo, Massachusetts for Elephants, Western Mass. Animal Rights Advocates (WMARA), Animal Rescue League of Boston, and so many more. And a tremendous thank you to sponsors State Senator Bruce Tarr, Senator Adam Gomez, Representative Carole Fiola, and State Representative Brad Jones for your leadership and championing this legislation across the finish line.

Now there’s something our team doesn’t see every day! Five-year-old horned goat, Schroeder, visited our team at Angell last week to have a mast cell tumor removed from his left cheek. While Angell doesn’t usually operate on goats (sticking with small mammals, avians and exotics), we are lucky enough to have specialists with experience anesthetizing and operating on large animals. Shroeder is a male, neutered goat (known as a wether) who lives with 3 other goats at his home north of Boston. Here’s to a baaaa-right future for Schroeder!

We are grateful to the Office of Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey for signing into law a bill to remove dog breed as factor to determine whether a family with a dog can adopt or foster children in Massachusetts. The law will take effect in December. Currently, no child under age 12 can be placed in a family with a Rottweiler, Pit Bull, or German Shepherd dog (or a dog which mixes at least 2 of these 3 breeds). When originally advocating for this bill, we didn’t realize how close to home this issue was for a lot of our supporters and staff. Many have shared their stories with us since news of its movement through the legislature was made public, and we are so proud to be able to help. “During the process of being licensed for adoption and foster care, we worried that our wonderful family dog – a pitbull mix – would disqualify or affect our application, despite being great with kids. She’s one of the most docile and sweet dogs we’ve ever had. As a lover of historically misunderstood breeds, this was really disheartening… I am so proud of the MSPCA team for recognizing this issue and taking it on!” – An MSPCA-Angell Family Thank you to sponsors Rep. Jack Patrick Lewis and Senator Adam Gomez Sr. for your advocacy to let families stay together while adding new members in our state.