New England animal shelters hope to give dogs their forever homes

FAMILIES FOR DOGS WHO NEED THEM. ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, COUNTLESS DOGS FIND THEMSELVES IN SHELTERS WAITING FOR A SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE. AT ANY ONE TIME. OUR FOUR ADOPTION CENTERS CAN HAVE PROBABLY NORTH OF 2 TO 300 DOGS IN CARE, DEPENDING ON SIZES AND AGES. EVERY YEAR, ROUGHLY 3.1 MILLION DOGS ENTER SHELTERS IN THIS COUNTRY. 2 MILLION OF THEM GO ON TO BE ADOPTED. WE ARE MAKING IT OUR MISSION TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE HELPING AS MANY DOGS GET INTO ADOPTIVE HOMES AS POSSIBLE, AND SO WE CAN. EVERY TIME WE HAVE AN EMPTY KENNEL, WE CAN FILL IT WITH AN ANIMAL THAT NEEDS TO COME IN. IN MASSACHUSETTS, THE MSPCA IS A BEACON OF HOPE FOR COUNTLESS ANIMALS, FROM DOGS TO CATS TO FARM ANIMALS. MIKE KILEY IS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE ANIMAL PROTECTION DIVISION AT MSPCA ANGEL. WE ARE A ANIMAL PROTECTION AGENCY THAT HAS TWO MAIN DIVISIONS. WE HAVE THE HOSPITAL DIVISION, AND WE HAVE AN ANIMAL PROTECTION DIVISION THAT HAS FOUR SHELTERS COMMUNITY OUTREACH, COMMUNITY CLINICS, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND ADVOCACY. KILEY SAYS THERE IS A MISCONCEPTION ABOUT THE UPTICK IN SHELTER DOGS IN THE U.S. RIGHT NOW, AND THE INCREASE IS NOT BECAUSE PETS ADOPTED DURING THE PANDEMIC ARE BEING SURRENDERED. WHAT WE REALLY THINK IS HAPPENING IS A CULMINATION OF A NUMBER OF CRISES HAPPENING ALL AT ONCE. THE VETERINARY CRISIS MAKING IT HARD FOR PEOPLE TO ACCESS AFFORDABLE SPAY NEUTER. WE’RE SEEING THE ECONOMY REALLY IMPACT ADOPTIONS, AND IT CREATES A MASSIVE CHALLENGE, ESPECIALLY FOR THE DOGS THAT ARE MOST DISADVANTAGED AT GETTING ADOPTED. LARGER BREED DOGS, BULLY BREED DOGS. AND WE ARE ON A MISSION TO TRY TO HELP ADJUST THAT. AT THE MSPCA NORTHEAST ANIMAL SHELTER IN SALEM, THE MISSION ON OUR VISIT WAS DAY ONE OF A WEEK LONG ADOPTION EVENT SPANNING ALL OF THE MSPCA CENTERS IN MASSACHUSETTS. WE ARE TAKING ONE MORE BARRIER AWAY BY REDUCING THE FEES OR WAIVING THE FEES. THIS WEEK, WE’RE WAIVING THE FEES FOR ANY LARGER BREED ONE DOGS. ONE YEAR OF AGE AND OLDER, AND WE’RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO A SERIES OF THESE EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER. THE EVENT DREW PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER AND HALFWAY THROUGH THE FIRST DAY, SEVERAL DOGS HAD ALREADY FOUND THEIR FOREVER HOMES. YOU’RE VERY GENTLE. YOU’RE A GOOD GIRL, INCLUDING SPARKLES, A ONE YEAR OLD PIT BULL MIX PUP WHO BONDED IMMEDIATELY WITH HER NEW OWNERS. VERY HAPPY AND EXCITED THAT SHE’S COMING HOME AND WE’RE GOING TO GIVE HER LIKE A DOG LIFE WITH A LOT OF LOVE. WE WATCHED BUDDY AND FLOPSY. HERE WE GO. ARE YOU COMING HOME? GO HOME WITH THEIR NEW FAMILIES AS WELL. WHEN SOMEONE COMES IN WITH AN OPEN MIND AND THEY AREN’T THINKING VERY SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE BREED OR HAIR COAT OR ANYTHING ALONG THOSE LINES, THEN THAT REALLY THAT MAGIC HAPPENS. OUR STAFF ARE AND VOLUNTEERS ARE INCREDIBLY GOOD AT FINDING THE PERFECT MATCH FOR SOMEONE. HI. VOLUNTEERS ARE SOMETHING THE HOTEL FOR HOMELESS DOGS IN CUMBERLAND, RHODE ISLAND PRIDES ITSELF ON. THE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM HERE IS ACTUALLY ONE OF OUR BEST PROGRAMS. WE SIT CURRENTLY AT ABOUT 500 ACTIVE VOLUNTEERS. SUSAN JOSEPH STARTED THE HOTEL FOR HOMELESS DOGS THREE YEARS AGO. A FAMILY RUN BUSINESS WITH HER DAUGHTER, SAVANNAH. ONE THING THAT WAS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME WHEN WE OPENED IS THAT I WANTED PEOPLE TO LEAVE HAPPY, AND I DIDN’T WANT PEOPLE TO COME HERE AND FEEL LIKE THEY WERE LEAVING DOGS IN A SHELTER. FROM THE BRIGHTLY COLORED WALLS TO THE NEON SIGNS AND BALL PIT AND RICHMOND TOYS, THIS APPOINTMENT ONLY SHELTER SPARKS A SMILE. WHEN FAMILIES WALK THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR. EVERY DOG HAS A UNIQUE STORY, YET EACH DOG SHARES A COMMON HOPE. FINDING A LOVING HOME. THIS MONTH, THE HOTEL FOR HOMELESS DOGS IS SET TO ADOPT OUT 100 ANIMALS OVER THE LAST YEAR, OUR GROWTH RATE HAS TRIPLED IN EVERY SINGLE CATEGORY, SO WE’VE TRIPLED THE AMOUNT OF FOSTERS WE’VE TRIPLED THE AMOUNT OF ADOPTIONS. THIS SHELTER HOLDS 20 TO 25 DOGS ON THE PROPERTY, BUT JOSEPH SAYS THEIR FOSTER PROGRAM IS VITAL. I DON’T THINK PEOPLE REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW HARD FOSTERING REALLY IS. WE HAVE A LOT OF DOGS WHO WOULD NOT DO WELL HERE. LIKE, THIS IS A GREAT, GREAT SPACE, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS IS A FACILITY AND THERE ARE SOME DOGS THAT COME INTO THIS PROGRAM AND THEY NEED A HOME TO PREPARE FOR THEIR NEXT JOURNEY. CARLISLE PEREIRA HAS BEEN A VOLUNTEER AT THE HOTEL FOR HOMELESS DOGS FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. TODAY SHE’S WALKING SYDNEY, A MIXED BREED WHO IS UP FOR ADOPTION. IT’S JUST BEEN THE MOST BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE TO BE A PART OF BECAUSE WE TAKE HOME THESE DOGS THAT ARE SO SCARED AND WE NURTURE THEM BACK TO TRUSTING HUMANS AGAIN. AND THEN WE FOLLOWED THEM THROUGH THE ADOPTION PROCESS AND NOW WE GET TO SEE THEM IN THEIR FOREVER HOMES. SUSAN JOSEPH MENTIONED SEEING MORE DOGS SURRENDERED AT HER SHELTER AS OF LATE, AND SOME OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING. REGULATIONS. MANY SPOTS DON’T ALLOW PETS OR THERE ARE BREED RESTRICTIONS, AND WE’VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT DOGS, BUT THE SPCA HAS ALL TYPES OF ANIMALS AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION. THEY HAVE ANIMALS AS SMALL AS MICE AND HAMSTERS ALL THE WAY UP TO HORSES AND GOATS. MSPCA IS THE LARGEST SHELTER SYSTEM IN NEW

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