A two-year-old Chihuahua is settling in at the Animal Rescue League of Boston’s (ARL) Boston Animal Care and Adoption Center – this after being abandoned on an enormous property in Southbridge that was once an American icon.

Bailey was recently discovered wandering among the dozens of abandoned buildings of the former American Optical property. Because the area’s gated, Southbridge Animal Control Officer Katelyn Spencer told ARL that no one enters the property by mistake and that it’s become a common animal dumping ground.

Although frightened easily, Bailey is quick to warm up.

She was abandoned in a large industrial complex in Southbridge, MA.

Trying to get her smile on.

If you are unable or unwilling to properly care for an animal, there are resources available to help with surrender.

The dog is healthy, adorable, and friendly, but is also shy and easily frightened. Since arriving at ARL, Bailey has been vaccinated, spayed and microchipped and is currently available for adoption.

ARL once again reminds the public that abandoning an animal is NEVER an option. It constitutes animal cruelty, which is a felony crime in Massachusetts. If you are unable or unwilling to properly care for an animal, there are resources available to ensure the animal is taken care of and rehomed.

More Than a Century of Assistance

ARL has great relationships with municipalities throughout the Commonwealth and are always ready to assist – in this case, ARL worked with the Southbridge Animal Control Officer and travelled more than 60 miles one-way to take custody of Bailey.

A simple phone call to a local ACO or visit to a local shelter can get the process started for surrendering an animal and there are never judgements or shaming – anyone involved in animal welfare simply wants what’s best for the animal.

A pair of kittens rescued along the busy American Legion Highway in Roslindale this past week capped a busy month for the Animal Rescue League of Boston’s (ARL) Field Services.

From Metro Boston, Metro West, to the South Shore and points in-between, the department rescued 40 kittens during the month of May alone, and June is shaping up to be another busy month. Over the past 16 weeks, ARL Field Services has rescued about 80 kittens total!

The aforementioned kittens were noticed by a passing driver wandering along a rock retaining wall and contacted ARL Field Services for assistance. The feisty six-week-old kittens were brought to ARL’s Boston Animal Care and Adoption Center and will be placed into foster care until they are ready to find permanent homes.

A pair of kittens were spotted along a rock wall along American Legion Highway in Roslindale.

ARL Field Services were able to get both kittens to safety.

The pair will go into foster care until they are ready to find their forever homes!

A trio of kittens were found at an iron works along the South Shore.

They were filthy, suffering from respiratory infections and thin.

Volunteers had to feed the kittens by syringe -- the kittens will heal and when ready will go up for adoption.

This mom and baby were rescued off the streets of Mattapan.

This adorable kitten was 1 of 10 rescued in Middleborough.

The kittens are not only cute, they're incredibly friendly!

At only six weeks, the kittens will be placed into foster care for several weeks until they are ready to find their forever homes.

Ready to be vaccinated!

This is the height of kitten season, as warmer temperatures lead to increased mating and an explosion of newborn kittens.

These new cat families can be found almost anywhere – under your porch, in a backyard woodpile and anywhere that can provide safety and privacy for the mother cat and her offspring. Kittens have also been discovered in industrial and busy shopping areas – and they need our help.

Unfortunately, ARL has seen a number of instances where the mother cat may have been injured while out looking for food, or simply left offspring to fend for themselves. This creates a dangerous situation for the kittens who are far too young to be able to care for themselves.

Keeping an Eye Out

With an estimated 700,000 community cats living on the streets throughout Massachusetts, ARL believes getting these kittens and mama cats off the streets and into loving homes is imperative. ARL urges anyone who notices kittens in their yard, neighborhood or even out running errands to contact ARL Field Services at 617-226-9170 for assistance.

For several weeks, the Animal Rescue League of Boston’s (ARL) Field Services had been tracking a stray mama cat on the streets of Mattapan. She was clearly nursing, but her litter was nowhere to be found.

After numerous visits to the residence to check her status, this week ARL was finally able to bring the mom and baby to safety – thanks to perseverance, the resident taking action, and a little bit of luck.

The resident at the home where the mama cat had been hanging around was in the midst of moving this week, and when ARL arrived on-scene, the friendly one-year-old came up for a visit, and with only one breast carrying milk, it was clear there was only one kitten to be found.

During the visit professional movers were going in and out of the home, and ARL agents were scouring the property trying to locate the kitten. Suddenly, a mover ran out and exclaimed “I found the kitten!”

ARL Field Services worked for several weeks to get Fremont and her kitten off the street.

Now in Dedham, the pair will undergo medical exams and be placed into foster care until they are ready to find a forever home.

The two are joined at the hip and adorable!

The loving look from a caring mother.

Sure enough, the four-week-old kitten was tucked away behind a bookshelf, which then begged the question – how did it get there?

The mama cat (now named Fremont), had not been inside the home previously, but must have taken advantage of the traffic going in and out of the home and at some point dashed inside to bring her little one to a safe place.

Reunited, the Fremont Family was moved to ARL’s Dedham Animal Care and Adoption Center to be medically evaluated and placed into foster care until they are ready to find a loving forever home.

YOU Can be a Champion for Community Cats

The Mattapan resident was a tremendous help to ARL, as she not only fed Fremont, but was constantly monitoring her as well. If you spot a possible stray around your property or in your neighborhood, please contact ARL’s Field Services. Your action can help get these animals off the streets and into a loving home.

As the warm weather approaches, the Animal Rescue League of Boston’s (ARL) Rescue Services expects to be busy, particularly when it comes getting cats out of trees. In order to ensure safety of both the staff and the animals they serve, training is essential.

For the past month, those new to technical climbing have spent hours getting familiar with knots, safety harnesses, throw lines and other climbing equipment.

This week the team had the opportunity to put the training to the test – under expert supervision, team members tackled their first tree on the grounds of ARL’s Dedham campus.

To see local news coverage of the training click here!

Weekly training will follow, as this type of climbing is precise and requires repetition, confidence and safety is paramount. Once this is achieved, agents will be ready to get into the field to assist these animals in need of help.

In 2018, ARL Rescue Services assisted more than 1,500 domestic animals and wildlife.

Help is on the way

If you see an animal in distress, contact ARL Rescue Services by calling 617-426-9170. Unfortunately ARL is unable to offer 24/7 services but will respond to an animal’s call for help as quickly as possible.

Dog not microchipped, whereabouts of litter unknown

The Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) is asking for the public’s help in finding who was responsible for recently abandoning a 3-year-old pitbull-type dog along busy Route 9 between Worcester and Framingham.

Maizel is making progress, but was clearly neglected for some time in her previous situation.

The dog was found by a passerby and was brought to ARL’s Boston Animal Care and Adoption Center. She was lactating and had recently given birth, but information on where along Route 9 she was found was vague, and unfortunately, despite a thorough search, her puppies have not been located.

ARL Law Enforcement speculates the puppies were likely kept by whoever abandoned her.

Maizel was also emaciated and severely dehydrated, indicating she had been neglected for some time.

ARL Law Enforcement is working with authorities in Framingham to try and not only locate Maizel’s puppies, but to discover who left her along the heavily-traveled roadway.

Maizel has put on a few pounds while she’s been with ARL, is extremely friendly, and continues to make progress – she’ll be made available for adoption hopefully in the next week.

Abandoning an animal is a felony crime in Massachusetts, punishable by up to 7 years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Anyone with information is asked to contact ARL Law Enforcement at 617-426-9170, or Framingham Animal Control at 508-532-5870.

For 120 years, the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) has been a lifeline for thousands of domestic animals annually, and a cat that was recently rescued on the streets of Dorchester is another example of this vital service.

A Good Samaritan alerted ARL Rescue Services this past week about a cat that was seen near a garbage dumpster and wasn’t moving. When ARL arrived on the scene, the cat was able to move and was found inside the dumpster, lying atop a cardboard box.

He was evaluated on-scene, and then brought to ARL’s Boston Animal Care and Adoption Center for medical treatment. The cat would likely have succumbed to his injuries sooner rather than later and needed immediate treatment.

Gryffindor, who’s approximately 2 years old, had suffered a broken jaw, was emaciated, and was in poor overall condition. While he was given a fictional namesake – the name itself represents courage, bravery and determination, which this suffering animal has in vast quantities.

His injuries were likely sustained in a traumatic fashion i.e. struck by a car, and x-rays confirmed the cartilage piecing together the lower half of the jaw had separated, making it all but impossible to eat solid or even soft food.

Gryffindor was found in Dorchester, besides being emaciated, he had suffered a severe jaw injury.

Despite his suffering, the two-year-old cat is extremely friendly!

Gryffindor getting ready for x-rays.

X-ray of the cat's lower jaw -- you can see the separation of the cartilage holding the jaw together.

You can see Gryffindor's jaw being askew due to the separation.

X-ray following surgery to wire together Gryffindor's jaw. He's on the mend!

The happy cat in his temporary home in an office at ARL. Once his quarantine period ends, he'll be ready to go home!

The cat also had a puncture wound likely caused by another animal.

ARL’s medical staff surgically wired his lower jaw and the cat will be monitored to ensure no complications arise. Because of the puncture wound, the cat will also need to be quarantined for four months for a “wound of unknown origin” per state law.

Like many injured animals that come into the care of ARL, Gryffindor has displayed amazing perseverance and is incredibly friendly to all who come in contact with by revving up his gravely purr.

He is expected to make a full recovery and when his quarantine period is over, he will be available for adoption.

Extraordinary Care

From routine exams, dental work x-rays and diagnostic testing to complex surgeries, ARL’s Shelter Medicine staff provides high-quality care to every animal that comes through our doors.

Cost of such extraordinary care exceeds $600,000 annually, and ARL does not receive any government grants or public funding, relying solely on the generosity of individuals like you to continue this high level of care. Please consider donating today to help animals in need!