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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: Pet emergency decal affixed to window

  • 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.

 

Future Focus: Strategic Plan Goal 4

Improve the lives of animals.

Objectives

1. Lead the way for animal welfare by working closely with legislators and volunteers to advance key laws and policies that benefit animals across Massachusetts.

2. Protect more animals through humane law enforcement and by providing training for local and state police and animal control officers.

3. Create the next generation of compassionate animal advocates through humane education opportunities for youth.

Vision in Action

ARL partnered with the Suffolk County District Attorney, state and local law enforcement officers, and other animal welfare groups to create an animal cruelty task force that aims to coordinate law enforcement efforts to fight animal cruelty. It is the first task force of its kind in the county and we are proud to be on the front lines of these important efforts to protect animals from abuse. Along with improving collaborative law enforcement animal cruelty investigation, the task force will also identify and target legislation that will protect animals not just in Suffolk County, but throughout the state.

group photo of the Cruelty Task Force inside ARL Boston

Learn more about ARL’s 2024-2028 Strategic Plan for the Future.

Future Focus: Strategic Plan Goal 3

Keep pets and people together.

Objective

Empower families and help more pets stay in their homes by expanding access to innovative community services, including low-cost veterinary care, temporary pet housing, and pet food.

Vision in Action

Fuzzy Butt, a twelve-year-old Maine Coon, came to ARL after his owner, a veteran, lost his housing due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fuzzy Butt was placed with a foster family while his dad worked to secure a place to live. His dad encountered a number of roadblocks to securing housing but after six months, Fuzzy Butt and his dad were reunited in a new living situation!

Learn more about ARL’s 2024-2028 Strategic Plan for the Future.

Fuzzy Butt, a longhaired cat laying in a kennel. A small photo is shown on the right of the cat and the owner

Fuzzy Butt being reunited with her dad after spending time at ARL

 

National Get Caught Reading Month

It’s time for children to Paws to Read!

Launched in the spring of 2023, the Animal Rescue League of Boston’s (ARL) Humane Education program seeks to create the next generation of compassionate animal advocates.

Two young girls sitting on the floor reading to a kitten who is laying in a blanket in one of the girl's laps.

Read along with us by selecting a book from our children’s reading list to learn more about animals.

Paws to Read Book List

1 to 4-years-old
Tails Are Not for Pulling, by Elizabeth Verdick

3 to 7-years-old
May I Pet Your Dog?, by Stephanie Calmenson
Jeannie Houdini A Hamster’s Tale, by Mary-Ann Stouck
So, What’s It Like To Be A Cat?, by Karla Kuskin
Please Don’t Tell Cooper He’s a Dog, by Michelle Lander Feinberg
Hens for Friends, by Sandy De Lisle

6 to 10-years-old
Looking Out for Sarah, by Glenna Lang
The Cormorant and the Clam, by Consie Berghausen
Oh, Theodore Guinea Pig Poems, by Susan Katz
Mrs. Crump’s Cat, by Linda Smith
The Forgotten Rabbit, by Nancy Furstinger
Buddy Unchained, by Daisy Bix

Learn more about ARL’s Humane Education programs, including reading to animal opportunities.

Future Focus: Strategic Plan Goal 2

Support animal health with our professional services

Objective

Advance pet health and well-being through dog training courses and exceptional veterinary care.

Vision in Action

Gigi was adopted from ARL and her new mom, Chelsea, reached out to our dog training team to help provide Gigi with more structure and enrichment. Since completing their first course, Chelsea now has a better understanding of Gigi’s needs and it has improved the way they interact. This is just one of the ways we can help strengthen the human-animal bond and support pet families in our community.

Learn more about ARL’s 2024-2028 Strategic Plan for the Future.

A dog standing looking up at his owner to the side

Gigi and her owner during an ARL dog training class.

Future Focus: Strategic Plan Goal 1

Provide high-quality care in our Animal Care and Adoption Centers

Objective

Provide animals with the highest standards of care to help them heal and thrive in their new homes.

Vision in Action

When Winter arrived at ARL, she was suffering from a broken leg. Our veterinary team assessed her injury and came up with a treatment plan based on her unique needs. The plan included amputation because the fracture was beyond repair. During the procedure, it was discovered that she was also missing a kidney!

Winter, 10-month-old female Ragdoll cat sitting. A small photo of an x-ray is shown in the corner.

After her surgery, she faced a long road ahead to recovery. She needed round-the-clock care, including specialized veterinary treatment and other supplies to keep her stable and comfortable.

Winter got everything she needed to heal and thrive in her new home.

Learn more about ARL’s 2024-2028 Strategic Plan for the Future.

 

2024 – 2028 Strategic Plan for the Future

Our 2024-2028 Strategic Plan reflects our unwavering commitment to helping animals heal and thrive, keeping pets and people together, and protecting animals from cruelty and neglect. It will ensure we can continue to respond to the needs of animals and support a community in which animals are protected, safe, and healthy – in homes and out of shelters.

We acknowledge that we cannot achieve our vision without investing in our most vital resource, our people. We are committed to making ARL a great place to work and volunteer. We are also committed to investing in our facilities, laying the foundation for our future in Boston by rebuilding a state-of-the-art Animal Care & Adoption Center and Veterinary Hospital.

An ARL staff member holding a small black puppy


Our goals are ambitious but with your help, we can amplify our impact for the future!

    • Goal 1 – Provide high-quality care in our Animal Care and Adoption Centers
    • Goal 2 – Support animal health with our professional services
    • Goal 3 – Keep pets and people together
    • Goal 4 – Improve the lives of animals
    • Goal 5– Invest in our people
    • Goal 6 – Invest in our infrastructure

Learn more about ARL’s 2024 – 2028 Strategic Plan for the Future

International Women’s Day: Anna Harris Smith, ARL’s Founder Ahead of Her Time

Anna Harris Smith Founded ARL in 1899

Today, March 8, marks International Women’s Day, a global day to acknowledge and celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.

Anna Harris Smith, the founder of the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL), was a strong, compassionate, and persistent woman, who decided to change the landscape of animal welfare in the United States – 21 years before she had the legal right to vote.

A social worker from Dorchester, she took action after seeing the cruel mistreatment of Boston’s working horses and the hordes of stray and homeless animals living on the streets.

Appalled by what she was seeing on a daily basis, Anna Harris Smith penned an editorial for the Boston Evening Transcript, where she advocated for a centrally located shelter facility for the rescue and care of homeless cats and dogs and remarked, “While getting dogs and cats off the street is work worth doing, the teaching of thoughtful kindness is the work that changes families, communities, and a nation.”

Anna Harris Smith

Anna Harris Smith

In February 1899, 110 people gathered at the Park Street Church in Boston for the very first meeting of the Animal Rescue League of Boston, and soon after opened the first shelter in the City of Boston, located at 68 Carver Street.

In 1907, Anna purchased a sprawling property in Dedham to serve as a sanctuary for working horses and homeless animals, and ARL’s Dedham campus continues to serve thousands of animals in need every year.

Through Anna’s fervor for humane education, and the growing impact of her work for animals in need, communities across the United States began to take notice, and used ARL as a model of how to form their own rescue societies.

Anna Harris Smith wrote and lectured extensively, tackling a host of humane issues of the time including the abandonment of pets, the abuse of working horses, transportation of livestock, and the importance of humane education for children.

In the first decades of the 20th-century, ARL’s work grew and Anna Harris Smith’s legacy was cemented.

Upon her passing in 1929, the American Humane Association stated “The passing of Mrs. Smith removes the outstanding woman in the history of animal protection in America. So long as humane history is preserved there will stand out among its records the name and fame of Mrs. Smith.”

A Lasting Legacy

Anna Harris Smith’s motto was “kindness uplifts the world”, the cornerstone on which ARL was built.

ARL has expanded greatly since Anna Harris Smith’s passing and as animal welfare evolves over time, one thing remains constant – the resolve and dedication by every ARL employee and volunteer to continue to honor her memory to uplift the world by one act of kindness at a time.

You’re Invited: Anna Harris Smith Day of Service

125 years ago, Anna Harris Smith, a social worker from Dorchester, was called to action after seeing the cruel mistreatment of Boston’s working horses and the number of stray and homeless animals. She advocated for a centrally located shelter to care for them and remarked, “while getting dogs and cats off the street is work worth doing, the teaching of thoughtful kindness is the work that changes families, communities, and a nation”.

On March 13, 1899, thanks to Anna’s efforts, the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) was officially incorporated and began helping millions of animals heal, find homes, and stay with their families, while protecting them from cruelty and neglect.

In honor of Anna’s legacy of kindness and commitment to animals, we are excited to announce the Anna Harris Smith Day of Service on March 13, 2024.

Imagine the impact of 125 caring individuals, inspired by Anna’s words, “Kindness uplifts the world,” coming together to make a difference through acts of service. Will you be one of them?


Here are 7 ways you can spread kindness on March 13:

  1. Stock ARL’s pet food pantry
    Donate pet food through ARL’s     Amazon or Chewy wish lists and have them shipped directly to ARL; or purchase them in-store and drop them off at one of our Animal Care & Adoption Centers in Boston, Dedham, or Brewster.
  1. Brighten the day of a shelter pet
    Draw a photo, write words of encouragement, or download one of our coloring templates from Facebook.  Submit your creations to     marketing@arlboston.org for us to print; or mail them to Animal Rescue League of Boston, Attn: Marketing, 10 Anna’s Place, Dedham, MA 02026. We will hang your cards and photos on the kennels and share them on our social media channels. You can also join us in person at our Dedham Animal Care & Adoption Center (55 Anna’s Place, Dedham, MA 02026) on March 13 from 3:30 – 6:00pm to make cards for animals.
  1. Leave a positive review
    Visit Great Nonprofits to leave a positive online review for your local non-profit, like ARL.
  1. Advocate for animals
    Contact advocacy@arlboston.org to learn more about our legislative agenda and how you can contact your legislator and ask them to support bills that protect animals.
  1. Be kind
    Do a random act of kindness in your community today. The possibilities are endless! Walk your neighbor’s dog, volunteer at your local library or nursing home, bring in treats for your coworkers, send a care package to a service member, give blood, or donate old sheets and towels to your local animal shelter.
  1. Get social
    Help spread the word and share ARL’s posts on     Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
  1. Pay it forward
    Donate to Jeff’s Fund which helps offset the cost of waived or reduced adoption fees to help animals who may be overlooked due to their medical needs, age, or personality, find the homes they deserve.
January is Adopt a Rescued Bird Month

5 Reasons to Adopt a Bird!

January is National Adopt a Bird Month and the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) wants to spread the love! Often overlooked in animal shelters, these beautiful and majestic creatures can make great pets, especially for families with limited living space or allergies.

Here are 5 other reasons why YOU should branch out and adopt a bird this month:blue parakeet

1. You’ll have someone to talk to. Because of their above average intelligence, birds are very communicative and love to socialize with humans. Birds have wonderful personalities and will often make you laugh by doing silly things like dancing and singing to themselves in a mirror.

2. You’ll have fun training them. Since most birds are relatively small, training them can be less physically demanding than working with larger creatures, making them a good choice for the young, elderly, or disabled.

3. You’ll have a loyal friend for the long-run. Many bird species have extraordinarily long life expectancies, some living more than 100 years! This often eases the concerns of people who want to make sure they adopt a pet that they can love and enjoy for a very long time.

4. You’ll have more space. A bird’s, food, water, and toys are typically self-contained in their cage, so smaller households will still have plenty of room to move around.

5. You’ll save money. Most landlords only charge “pet fees” to tenants with cats or dogs.

DON’T FORGET… to bring a photo! If you’re interested in adopting a bird or other small animal, the ARL requires that you bring a picture of the cage that your new companion will be living in to ensure it’s adequate. Meet our adoptable birds.