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Help S. 2369 Become Law TODAY

Bill 2369 has passed the House & Senate – now it just needs Governor Baker’s signature

Great news! Senate Bill 2369 — An Act to Prevent Animal Suffering and Death — has passed the House and Senate. The bill is now on Governor Baker’s desk and we’re hoping he signs this into law soon.

Many of you are familiar with our “Too Hot for Spot” educational campaign. For several years now, ARL has been reminding pet owners that when the temperature heats up, it’s best to leave your pet at home. Sadly, pets still are left in vehicles and we’ve still seeing deaths that could have been avoided.

Too Hot for Spot

Thanks to S. 2369, animals have a greater chance of surviving this sad fate. Law enforcement and other first responders are allowed to intervene early to rescue and prevent animals from suffering and dying from extreme heat. Under certain circumstances, other individuals will also be able to enter vehicles to save an animal from death.

S. 2369 also will prohibit dogs from being tied up to fixed structures for long periods of time, overnight, and in bad weather. The change in the law goes a long to ensure that dogs do not end up living on chains and left outside for long periods of time, especially in extreme weather conditions.

Take Action: Please make a quick call to Governor Charlie Baker’s office at (617) 725-4005 and urge him to sign S. 2369 into law today! 

MEMA Issues Situational Awareness Statement: Excessive Heat & Heavy Rainfall

Expected high heat and humidity are a dangerous combination for pets

This weekend will be Too Hot (and Too Humid) for Spot!

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) advises that hot and very humid weather is expected through Saturday. Rounds of showers and thunderstorms are expected with heavy rainfall in the Greater Boston Area at times until Monday. The combination of high heat and humidity will make it feel like it is 100 and 105 degrees during the afternoons.

Follow these 4 tips to ensure your pet stays safe and cool this weekend:

  1. Leave your pet at home. We all like to spend time with our pets, but in weather like this, traveling with your pet can put them at risk. If you are heading out and know that you cannot take your pet into the store, the post office, the dry cleaner, or other destination, then please leave your pet at home.
  2. Don’t leave your pet in any vehicle – even with the windows cracked. Even a few minutes in a vehicle can result in dangerous and deadly conditions for your pet. Leaving the windows open does not help!  Dogs and cats cannot sweat. Vehicle temperatures can quickly rise to over 145 degrees in less than 20 minutes. Heat stroke and death for your pet can quickly follow, especially if your pet is older, overweight, or has a physical ailment.
  3. Avoid mid-day outdoor activities. When walking or playing with your pet outside, try to do so early in the morning or after the sun has set.  Always make sure that fresh cool water is available for your pet.
  4.  Prepare your pet for thunderstorms. Hot and humid days often bring booming thunderstorms with flashing lightning. If your pet shows signs of anxiety during a storm, consider putting them in an enclosed room (with no windows) and create a comfortable and safe environment. Turning on music or “white noise” machine can help muffles other noises. If these techniques don’t work, you might consider speaking with your vet.

Learn more about hot weather pet prepardeness at arlboston.org/summersafety

Breaking News: ARL Takes Care & Custody of 57 Animals (and Counting!) from Westport Tenant Farm

Your support is URGENTLY needed to help the many animals in this case

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The Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) has been working around-the-clock alongside the Westport Police Department and other local and state officials in and on-going effort at 465 American Legion Highway in Westport, Massachusetts.

Since early Tuesday morning, the ARL has been assisting in the rescue, removal, and emergency veterinary treatment of hundreds of animals on the 70-acre property.

Today, we were back on-site to help the many more animals still living in these cruel and unsanitary conditions.

ARL team on site rescuing animals in westport

ARL team on site rescuing animals in westport

ARL team on site rescuing animals in westport

Thus far, the ARL has taken care and custody of 57 animals including dogs, cats, rabbits, goats and other animals; removing them from a dangerous environment where they suffered without adequate shelter, food, or care.

Once they are healed, the animals in our care and will be connected with the caring families that they deserve.

Lt. Alan Borgal, ARL’s Director of Law Enforcement, and Dr. Kyle Quigley, ARL’s Lead Community Veterinarian continue to lead the efforts in Westport to provide for the well-being and care of all the animals in this case.

“This is the worst [case] I’ve ever seen, as far as scale and conditions,” says Dr. Kyle Quigley. “Animals here had been living in deplorable conditions for months, probably years”.

Your support is critical…

The Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) is on the ground in Westport, MA and we need your help to provide the animals suffering in these deplorable conditions with the emergency assistance they so desperately require.

Thousands of dollars are needed to provide URGENT care to these animals who have suffered from abuse and neglect. Your gift today makes this important work possible!

Click here or on the red button below to donate now

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We’re in need of livestock foster families! If interested, please email dvogel@arlboston.org with your name, phone number, type of livestock you’d like to foster, and how many animals you can accommodate. Please note that all of our slots for fostering dogs, cats, and other small animals are filled at this time. Thank you!

Happening Now: ARL Rescues Animals from Cruel and Unsanitary Conditions on Westport Farmland

ARL assists Westport Police with the removal of hundreds of animals

DONATE NOW to help the many animals involved in this case receive the emergency medical attention they need.

The Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) has been working alongside the Westport Police Department and other local and state officials in an ongoing effort at 465 American Legion Highway in Westport, Massachusetts.

This 70-acre property has over 20 tenant farms that are in various degrees of condition.

ARL Boston’s Director of Law Enforcement, Lt. Alan Borgal, along with Lead Veterinarian, Dr. Kyle Quigley, will continue to lead our investigation and the efforts to provide for the well-being and care of all animals in this case.

As of this morning, the ARL took care and custody of the following animals:

  • 7 dogs surrendered by their owners to the ARL and Westport Animal Control
  • 2 adult cats, 2 kittens, 1 pigeon, and 1 Canadian Goose were taken into custody at ARL’s Boston shelter

These animals are now in our care and will receive the specialized veterinary care they desperately need. We will connect them with caring families once they are healed.

Due to their dire physical condition and suffering, 3 goats had to be euthanized on-site.

The ARL is back on site today for the inspection of several more of the tenant farms. It is expected there will be many more animals found today.

Your support is critical to help the many animals in this case…

The ARL team is on the ground in Westport, MA assisting in the rescue, removal, and emergency veterinary treatment of hundreds of animals from the deplorable conditions on the 70 acre farmland.

Thousands of dollars are needed to provide these animals in Westport who have suffered from abuse and neglect with the immediate assistance and care they so desperately need.

This is an URGENT situation and it is YOUR HELP that makes all of ARL’s important work possible!

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Watch the Video: Dog in Hot Car Demonstration

ARL participates in hot car demonstration in front of MA State House

Earlier today, July 14, 2016, the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL), MSPCA-Angell, and HSUS participated in a hot car demonstration in front of the Massachusetts State House to illustrate the dangers of leaving your pet in a hot car — even for a few minutes. On a warm sunny day, it’s just Too Hot for Spot®!

Click the “play” button below to watch the Facebook Live video of today’s demonstration:

Senator Mark Montigny of New Bedford, the original sponsor of the bill, and Representative Lori Ehrlich of Marblehead, spoke at the event alongside officials from the ARL, MSPCA, and HSUS. Local law enforcement, fire fighters, and animal control officers who respond to calls about animals in hot cars were also in attendance.

As the speakers delivered their remarks, the live hot car demonstration showed the thermometer inside a vehicle rise to well over 100 degrees in a matter of minutes.

On June 28, the Senate passed a bill (S 2369) that would set civil penalties for abandoning an animal in a hot car and would make clear that police officers, firefighters and animal control officers may enter a hot car for the sole purpose of releasing an animal believed to be in danger. The bill is now before the Committee on House Steering, Policy and Scheduling.

The ARL urges swift passage of S. 2369 An Act to Prevent Animal Suffering and Death… and YOU can help!

Please contact your Massachusetts State Representative and ask them to pass S. 2369 AN ACT TO PREVENT ANIMAL SUFFERING AND DEATH. Find your representative.

More information on summer pet safety.

Tomorrow: Hot Car Demonstration at MA State House Underscores Danger to Pets

Hot car demonstration helps urge lawmakers to protect pets in the summer heat

The Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) and other leading animal protection organizations and citizen advocates are calling on the Massachusetts state legislature to pass S. 2369—An Act to Prevent Animal Suffering and Death—which would enable faster rescue of pets trapped in hot cars, just as summertime temperatures are heating up.

To drive awareness for the plight of pets left in hot cars, which—according to the American Veterinary Medical Association—claims the lives of hundreds of animal lives every year—the MSPCA-Angell, ARL, and HSUS will underscore the threats pets face when trapped in hot cars, all while a thermometer tracks the steadily rising temperature inside a “hot car” demonstration vehicle.

Too Hot for Spot

Stop by the Massachusetts State House tomorrow, July 14, at 12:00 noon to see a live hot car demonstration to see how quickly temperatures rise inside a vehicle on a sunny day.

Stop by to see the live demonstration!
Thursday, July 14, 2016
12:00 p.m
“The well” at the Massachusetts State House

ARL’s Director of Advocacy, Nadine Pellegrini, will be speaking in support of S. 2369, as well as the bill’s sponsors, Senator Mark Montigny and Representative Lori Ehrlich, and officials from MSPCA-Angell and HSUS.

Local law enforcement, fire fighters, and animal control officers who respond to calls about animals in hot cars will also be in attendance.

S. 2369 would give first responders including police officers, fire fighters and animal control officers explicit authority to rescue an animal from inside a car when conditions, such as extreme heat or cold, are reasonably expected to threaten the health of the animal. The bill would also allow an individual to enter a car if the animal is in imminent danger, and no other options exist.

Learn more about S. 2369 and related animal protection legislation currently under consideration in Massachusetts.

More information on summer pet safety.

ARL Urges Passage of Animal Welfare Legislation

Take action to help pass S. 2369 An Act to Prevent Animal Suffering and Death

With summer temperatures on the rise it is imperative that Massachusetts State pass S. 2369 An Act to Prevent Animal Suffering and Death.

While it is crucial to educate pet owners about the real dangers of leaving their animals in vehicles, it is also important to have common sense laws on the books to help prevent the suffering of animals.

This bill would be the first law in Massachusetts that addresses the real dangers of leaving animals in vulnerable situations, and especially during extreme weather conditions. 

Too Hot for SpotARL’s Too Hot for Spot® educational campaign clearly shows the extremely short period of time it takes for a vehicle to heat up even with windows slightly open. Unfortunately, some pet owners still leave their animals in their vehicles.

S. 2369 An Act to Prevent Animal Suffering and Death will allow for earlier intervention by law enforcement and other governmental agencies as well as by individuals in extreme cases.

This law will not only prevent the death of animals but also protect owners from potential animal cruelty charges. It will also be a reminder to all that extreme temperatures are dangerous for animals.

S. 2369 empowers those that see dangerous situations for animals to intervene earlier to prevent suffering and even death.

In addition to removing animals from vehicles this bill also provides much needed clarity with respect to  tethering of  dogs.  These amendments will ensure that dogs do not end up living on chains and left outside for long periods of time, especially in extreme weather conditions.

The ARL urges swift passage of S. 2369 An Act to Prevent Animal Suffering and Death… and YOU can help!

Please contact your Massachusetts State Representative and ask them to pass S. 2369 An Act to Prevent Animal Suffering and Death.

Find your representative.

Over 170,000 Signatures Collected to STOP Farm Animal Cruelty

The Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) hosts rally to celebrate successful signature campaign

We’re thrilled to be a part of the Citizens for Farm Animal Protection campaign, where over 170,000 signatures have been collected to phase out the extreme confinement of animals at industrial-style factory farms, as well as the sale of products produced under those conditions. Last week, fifteen boxes containing the #StopCrueltyMA signatures made their way to the Secretary of the Commonwealth for certification and to secure a spot on the November ballot.

Interested in lending a hand? Learn how you can help.

CFFAP_TurnIn-1681

Special thanks to all of the wonderful organizations involved including the HSUS, ASPCA, MSPCA Animal Action Team, Franklin Park Zoo, The Humane League – Boston, Mercy For Animals, Farm Forward, Compassion in World Farming (USA), Animal Equality, Farm Sanctuary, the Mass Sierra Club and all of the dedicated volunteers who collected signatures and to all those who supported this momentous effort to end the extreme confinement of farm animals!

 

Successful Day for Animals at the State House!

ARL’s Nadine Pellegrini collaborates alongside local & national animal welfare organizations to lobby important bills

On Tuesday, June 28 the Senate passed three important bills strengthening protection for animals and promoting animal welfare.

THESE BILLS INCLUDED…

(S. 2369) – An Act to Prevent Animal Suffering and Death

This bill will give law enforcement/first responders and citizens the ability to intervene early on when an animal is at risk of injury and/or death.

Amends Anti-Tethering Statute

  • Under the law as it currently stands, a person can tether their dog for up to 24 consecutive hours. 24 hours is far too long for a dog to be chained up. The law is essentially unenforceable.
  • The new law prohibits confining/tethering an animal for longer than 5 hours in a 24 hour period and prohibits tethering outside from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
  • The new law prohibits tethering outside if there is a weather advisory or if there is extreme heat, cold, wind, rain, snow or hail which causes a risk to health or safety of the dog based on the dog’s breed, age or physical condition. Under those conditions, the dog cannot be tethered for more than 15 minutes and during that 15 minutes, the owner must be with the dog.
  • The new law gives law enforcement personnel from the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) and MSPCA the ability to write citations (with increased fines) for violations of any provision of the anti-tethering statute.

Too Hot for SpotCreates a new law to address pets in vehicles – This will be familiar to all who are aware of ARL’s “Too Hot for Spot” campaign. The bill creates a new law which not only punishes violators who leave their pets in vehicles during extreme hot or cold weather but it gives first responders, such as police, fire, and rescue, a clear directive that they can intervene and rescue an animal from a dangerous situation. The bill covers new ground by also allowing non-law enforcement people, under specific conditions, to rescue an animal from a vehicle.

kitten(S. 2370) – “An Act Relative to Protecting Puppies and Kittens”

This bill seeks to prevent the sale of dogs or cats less than eight weeks of age; updates the “Puppy Lemon Law” to give pet owners more options if they unknowingly purchase a sick pet; regulates certain breeders; and prevents pet shops from obtaining puppies and kittens from USDA breeders with multiple violations of the Animal Welfare Act.

abandoned dog(S. 2375) – An Act protecting abandoned animals in vacant properties

This bill directs landlords, property managers, and owners — when they know or reasonably should know that property has been vacated, abandoned or foreclosed — to inspect properties within 3 days to check for the presence of abandoned animals. The bill also provides for monetary penalties if the properties are not checked.

THE NEXT STEP…

Now that these important bills have passed the Senate, the next step is to get these bills passed in the House of Representatives. We need your help…Please contact your state reps to express your support for these truly important bills. A list of members of the House of Representatives and their contact info can be viewed at https://malegislature.gov/People/House.

SPECIAL THANKS…to MA senators for choosing to protect our state’s animals!

Conviction Upheld for Inhuamane Confinement & Chaining of Dogs

ARL provided essential testimony in support of “overwhelming evidence” that dogs were kept in filthy and dirty conditions

A Cape Cod woman’s convictions for violating Massachusetts State law by confining her two dogs in a condemned home and a fenced-in yard, has been upheld by the Massachusetts Appeals Court.

Leanne Trefry, of Brewster, MA, challenged her convictions and claimed that she did not violate the law because her dogs were not confined outside. The Court disagreed, finding that keeping dogs in filthy and dirty confinement both inside and outside was, in fact, a violation of law.

Trefry's Shetland sheepdogs, Kenji and Zach, peer through a fence on her property in Brewster on July 2013, just a few days before they were removed. Photo credit: Cape Cod Times

Trefry’s Shetland sheepdogs, Kenji and Zach, peer through a fence on her property in Brewster on July 2013, just a few days before they were removed. Photo credit: Cape Cod Times

The Court found also that the dogs were effectively left alone on the property which was clogged with trash, inside and outside; emitted odors of trash (inside); dog feces (outside); and that there were many items which posed a threat to the dogs’ health and safety.

ARL’s Director of Law Enforcement, Lt. Alan Borgal, was one of the witnesses to the deplorable conditions in which the dogs were kept. He became aware of the situation when Brewster Animal Control Officer (ACO) Lynda Brogdan-Burns told him about the dogs and requested investigative assistance from the ARL.

Lt. Borgal went to see Trefry with the Brewster ACO and she agreed to allow the dogs to be taken to the ARL’s Brewster shelter for veterinary care and grooming because of the tick infestation.

At the time of the rescue, the dogs had effectively been left alone virtually all day every day for over a year with only intermittent contact with friends, a caretaker, and Trefry who provided food and water. One dog had Lyme disease and was limping badly from an injury. Both dogs were both tick-infested and described as “matted”, “ravaged” and “traumatized.”

During the trial, Lt. Borgal told the court that he had visited the home and found that the yard was overgrown, dog feces had not been picked up and removed and that, consequently, the yard itself smelled.

Both dogs were transferred to ARL’s Brewster shelter and were later boarded and fostered by Brewster Animal Control. After the conclusion of the case, the dogs were adopted.

Why is this case important? This is one of the first cases interpreting the Massachusetts law which prohibits cruel and dangerous conditions and inhumane tethering or chaining.