Thinking about adding a rabbit, guinea pig, or another small “pocket pet” to your family? Come find your perfect match at our Fee-Waived Adoptathon for Small Animals! Thanks to generous donors, we’ll be waiving the adoption fees for our “small guys” on Saturday July 31 and Sunday August 1. No matter how small, these animals need you in a big way!
For more information on how to register for the event, click here.
When Northeast Animal Shelter launched our community outreach program in the midst of the pandemic, our goal was to build trusting relationships with neighbors in underserved communities – neighbors like Sabrina.
Sabrina takes in the stray cats in her Revere neighborhood, gets them spayed or neutered, and makes sure their bellies are full. She also serves as the point person for all of her neighbors’ pet concerns. When we first met Sabrina, she was caring for 14 cats!
That’s when our Community Pet Food Bank stepped in to assist. We now provide Sabrina and her neighbors with cat and dog food on a regular basis. And when the cats she cares for have medical needs, she reaches out to NEAS and our affiliate MSPCA-Angell for help. So when Sabrina found yet another stray cat, we were the first ones she called.
A spay procedure was scheduled for the new cat named Precious, but two days before the appointment, Sabrina called to share that Precious had delivered two kittens overnight. We quickly placed Precious and her babies into foster care and later that day, Precious gave birth to a third kitten.
Although only two of the kittens survived, they have since found loving permanent homes and Precious was spayed and returned to Sabrina, who had checked in on her every day while she was in foster care.
If you or someone you know needs assistance with pet food or affordable veterinary care, please email jamie.g@neas.org.
Before arriving at our shelter, Deagan’s life could only be described as heartbreaking.
Tethered to a logging chain, weighing just half of what he does today, Deagan suffered a lonely, neglected life. But from the day he arrived, he became a happy, wiggly guy who adored everyone he met.
But Deagan’s neglect left him with two serious medical conditions. For months, he was treated at our shelter for heartworm and babesia, a tick-based disease that infects the red blood cells. Although he quickly became a staff favorite, this lovable dog with a goofy grin had no interest from potential adopters.
After remaining with us for nearly 100 days, Deagan needed a break from shelter life, so we placed him in a foster home. It didn’t take long for his foster moms to realize he was a keeper, and they joyfully adopted him.
Soon, Deagan will enter service dog training so he can accompany his mom to work. And we have no doubt that he will be much loved at the senior centers where she provides music therapy!
Once upon a time, a tabby cat named Chinderella came to Northeast Animal Shelter from one of our partners in Georgia.
She was friendly, happy, and sweet as can be. But something about her was unusual…
At first glance, it looks like Chinderella is sticking out her tongue… but that’s actually her chin! Trauma to her jaw detached the fur on Chinderella’s chin, exposing the skin underneath, despite the originating shelter’s best efforts to repair it. An exam by NEAS’ medical staff revealed that the same blunt force that caused the injury – probably an impact with a car – also fractured all of her teeth.
Although Chinderella’s fur could not be reattached, she still needed dental surgery to remove her teeth. Due to the delicate way that cats’ teeth are affixed, it was important that Chinderella get the best possible care. So we sent her to the MSPCA-Angell, whose dentistry staff has the experience and technical expertise necessary for full mouth extractions.
Through it all, Chinderella’s sweet disposition never changed – and she just couldn’t get enough attention from our staff! If her petting sessions were halted, she would lean in and meow for more, never failing to vocalize her appreciation with deep-throated purrs.
In spite of her quirky appearance, Chinderella’s affectionate nature caught the attention of an adopter, and before too long her greatest wish came true. Chinderella found a home with someone who will adore her forever – and who doesn’t love a fairytale with a happy ending?
We rescued Sonny from NEAS back in April 2010. At that time, his name was Bopper and he was about 1 year old and came from Indiana. He had been at the shelter for almost a week and they were surprised it took so long for someone to pick him. Next month will be 11 years since we took him home. He is the biggest lovebug/snugglebug, though is still very protective of us and our home. He has been with us for 2 moves and 2 babies. We can’t imagine our lives without him and love him to pieces. Thank you, NEAS!
We adopted Felix (formerly Dorito) as a kitten from NEAS last July. After our eldest cat passed away last December, we decided that Felix needed another brother to keep him company. Last month we came back to NEAS, and the moment we met Moose we immediately felt he would be the perfect fit. After just a couple of weeks, they are already the best of friends. We couldn’t imagine our lives without either one of them! Thank you NEAS!
SALEM and Boston, Mass., April 7, 2021 – In many ways, three-month-old Pit Bull mix puppy “Bradley” has come so far—traveling more than 1,100 miles from rural Georgia to Massachusetts, and the promise of a new and loving home—but his most dangerous journey is still ahead of him.
Little did anyone know that Bradley—the shy, playful pup with a heart-shaped nose, relocated to Salem’s Northeast Animal Shelter (NEAS) with 37 other dogs and cats on March 20th—was gravely ill.
A health check performed upon arrival at NEAS revealed a congenital heart condition called Pulmonic Stenosis (PS), a grave diagnosis that put Bradley at risk of sudden death after just 90 days of life. For the NEAS team, the discovery was devastating.
“His condition is so severe that we had to determine if surgery would even be an option for him,” said Dr. Lindsey Rynk of the Northeast Animal Shelter. “None of us were prepared to give up, however, so we turned to the MSPCA-Angell for help.”
Angell Animal Medical Center Offers (Guarded) Hope
The NEAS team booked an appointment with Dr. Katie Hogan of Angell’s Cardiology service, who has treated PS at least 60 times in her career—and who made clear that, while surgery may offer Bradley a second chance, there are no guarantees.
“PS is a challenging diagnosis for any dog and without surgical intervention may prove a fatal condition within a couple of years, and Bradley’s case is very severe, but we’re hopeful that surgery will save him from immediate danger and prolong his life,” said Dr. Hogan.
Armed with this information, the NEAS team decided the risk is worth taking, and Bradley’s surgery is now scheduled for April 13th. Bradley is staying in a foster home with one of Angell’s cardiology nurses until then to ease his stress and provide as normal a life as possible before his operation.
The minimally invasive procedure that Dr. Hogan will perform is called a balloon valvuloplasty. Bradley will be anesthetized, and then intravenous catheters will be placed in his jugular vein, with larger catheters, and wires, passed through the right side of his heart. A balloon will then be passed through his heart and inflated multiple times to open his abnormal valves, after which the value will be removed.
Dr. Hogan has made clear that even with a successful surgery, Bradley will never be out of the woods. “Even if the operation is a success—and we’ll do everything in our power to ensure the best outcome—it is still possible that this condition will shorten Bradley’s lifespan,” she said.
“But given all he’s been through, he deserves every chance we can give him, and he’s going to be in very good hands,” said Dr. Hogan.
Help Bradley!
Bradley’s surgery and aftercare are likely to exceed $7,500 and NEAS and the MSPCA are asking that anyone able to offset the costs donate at neas.org/bradleysheart.
The Road Ahead
According to Dr. Hogan, most dogs who undergo the procedure are discharged the same day—and her hope is that Bradley will be, too. “Most patients are able to resume normal activities within a few days, and we believe he may be cleared for adoption after 10 to 15 days,” said Dr. Hogan. She added that Bradley will require a checkup at Angell four to six weeks after his surgery.
NEAS and the MSPCA will provide updates on Bradley’s condition, and more details on the kind of adoptive home he will require. “He’s shy and will do best in a quieter home, and we’ll need to ensure his new owner is committed to his ongoing cardiology care,” said Dr. Rynk.”
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This is Bailey! She has been my best friend and side kick for three months and she is amazing! She loves being trained and going on new adventures every day. In these short three months she has gained thirty pounds and made so many puppy friends and human friends alike! She loves to do zoomies everywhere she goes and then plop down on Mommy for a nap 🙂 Thank you Northeast Animal Shelter for introducing me to my best friend and perfect match!!
I decided to go check out the new puppies that had just come in on Saturday afternoon, but I wasn’t the only one with that idea. When I arrived at NEAS, there was a line of eager soon to be pet owners around the corner of the building.
When we were finally allowed inside, there was a rush to see all the new puppies. I walked from kennel to kennel looking at all the adorable puppies just waiting to be adopted. Left and right, people snatched up the cards off the gates to adopt their new best friend. But as cute as all these pups were…none of them were mine.
I then started to leave and entered the large dog room. I past older dogs, and puppies 5+ months old until I saw Sadie (now Sydney). I knew from the minute I saw her snoozing in her kennel that she was my pup. It was love at first site. I sat down at the kennel and waited for her to come over to greet me.
She eventually got up, walked over to the door to her kennel and stretched her long legs out to me, so I could pet her paw. As I sat there, tears welled up in my eyes because I knew I had found my dog.
A kind volunteer came over and asked if I was ok and I told her, “I think I found my dog”. She looked at me and informed me that unfortunately since she had a pink card on her gate, she couldn’t be adopted yet. My heart began to break and I asked her if she knew when I could adopt her. She informed me that she had to be fixed before anyone could adopt her.
I then asked if I could reserve her, pay the fee, fill out the application, anything but I was told that was not the policy at the shelter. I would have to wait for her to be spay and then come back after and hope I was the first one there to adopt her.
I told the volunteer I’d be back because I knew I had to have this dog. She was my dog and I’d be crushed if someone else adopted her.
I called to check in on her the next day and then again another day and I found out she was due to be spayed the next day. I then called on that Monday to make sure she was ok post surgery and they told me she was fine and would be available for adoption the next day.
Right then and there, I emailed my boss to let him know I’d be late to work and the very next day I got to the shelter 15 min before it opened and there were already 3 other people in line. I had to be the first one to her kennel. As soon as they opened the doors, I walked quickly to her kennel and saw that the pink card was now blue, which meant she was eligible for adoption!
7 years later, the rest is history and I’m so grateful I was able to find my girl that day!
After waiting so long to get into the shelter, and as soon as I saw her…I knew she would be coming home with us that day. It had been so long since I have had a puppy..and boy did I realize how much hard work is involved in keeping her safe and healthy! I am almost too busy with her to even type this letter! On the other hand, we are so in love with her and we love letting her explore all the wonderful places she goes to with us on walks. Yes – Moira was meant to be with us! My appointment was cancelled due to a snow storm and when I went the next day -there she was! If I had gone on the scheduled date..I would have never seen her – because she was being spayed that day! Thank you so much for caring for our baby! She is definitely a keeper! Thank you NEAS!!