Medfield Animal Shelter News

Happy Tail: Snickers and Oreo

2012-01-22T20:40:00.001-05:00

We received these pictures with a note that simply said "They are the best thing to ever happen to our family! THANK YOU!!!!" Funny how a few words can say it all.

2012 begins with some happy tails!

2012-01-09T10:53:00.000-05:00

Anyone that has adopted a pet from us knows we practically demand photos of the pets enjoying their new homes. These "happy tails" are what keep us going and we love every picture that is shared with us. So we are starting the new year off with pictures of two recently adopted pets, Thumper, a young mixed breed dog, and Jelly Bean, an older bunny.

Jelly Bean made friends with the pets in his new home right away!

Jelly Bean in his spacious new digs

Thumper and her doggie sibling, Daisy

Update on Handsome

2011-12-13T10:38:00.002-05:00

Handsome spent 6 months at the shelter waiting for just the right owner to come along. He obviously chose wisely, as we received this update today from his new owner.

Just thought you would like to know how "Handsome" is doing. First is that his name is now "Buddy" & he seems to approve. Second, is that you said he is a 'great' cat...I'm sorry, but you were wrong....He's a Fantasticcat!!! The moment Andrea & I let him out of the carrier, he was checking out the whole apartment, which included climbing up to the top of the kitchen cabinets. He handled that very well. He quickly found the litter box & approved it . I fed him & he ate everything! After about an hour of him walking everywhere, he came over to me in my recliner & jumped up into my lap & began head butting my hand to pet him. There he remained for about an hour...not letting me stop petting & scratching him behind the ears! This is something that I never expected so soon! He was amazing...he follows me everywhere in the apartment...wants constant attention & love...wants to play all day & night! He is running,jumping & seems very happy to be here. He lets me rub his belly & lets me hold his paw...it's so cute when he stretches out on the rug & lies on his back & has his paws folded in the air...this is the sign to me that he wants to play!

This afternoon, I was taking a nap Buddy was sleeping beside me...he then came up onto my pillow & started to run his paws through my hair! He actually laid down on my head & slept there for about an hour...occasionally caressing my cheeks with his paws! This little guy is amazing! He's right here watching me write this email. He says he misses everyone that took care of him for the last 6 months, & he's throwing special kisses to Jackie for loving him being his special friend. I, personally want to thank everyone at the shelter for doing such good things for these unfortunate animals.

Matching Challenge Underway

2011-11-30T10:50:00.005-05:00

The Medfield Animal Shelter is pleased to announce this year's fundraiser!

A group of longtime shelter supporters have offered to match every dollar that is donated to the Medfield Animal Shelter between November 15, 2011 and January 15, 2012 — up to $15,000! Previous matching challenge fundraisers have helped us raise a significant portion of our operating budget for the year, allowing
our volunteers to spend more time helping pets in need.

This year's challenge grant will help the Shelter to continue meeting the needs of the many cats, dogs and other critters we are asked to help every day. In order to address the cat overpopulation problem in the only way that has proven to be both effective and humane, we have recently created a small surgical suite we are using to host one or two low cost spay/neuter clinics for cats every month. We made a significant investment to do this, but feel it is a crucial part of fulfilling our mission to help end the overpopulation of pets that results in an estimated 5 million companion pets being euthanized at shelters in the U.S. every year. All of our work is possible thanks to our wonderful volunteers and supporters.

Pets in Massachusetts continue to lose their homes at an unprecedented rate due to the economic downturn, and we want to be able to help as many as possible in 2012, so we need your support. You can make your
donation to this worthy cause go twice as far by making a donation to the Medfield Animal Shelter by January 15, 2012! Please include a note with your donation letting us know that your donation is for the Matching Challenge Grant. The Matching Challenge Grant is open to anyone wishing to support the Medfield Animal Shelter, so please spread the word and make a donation today!

The Medfield Animal Shelter is a no-kill shelter and every dog, cat and rabbit is spayed or neutered prior to being placed in a new home.

For more information about the shelter, please visit our website: www.medfieldshelter.com. Tax-deductible donations can be made online by clicking on the Donate button, or mailed to:

Medfield Animal Shelter
PO Box 271
Medfield, MA 02052

Here are just a few of the many pets the shelter took in and found homes for in 2011

More photos from our Happy Tails files

2011-11-16T10:53:00.000-05:00

We can't say it enough times: we love hearing from adopters and seeing photos of the pets living as cherished family members. Here are a few recent success stories:

Emma spent most of the last year and a half at the shelter. It was very hard on her, because she doesn't enjoy the company of other cats, and as an older kitty, she just wasn't happy at the shelter. Her dream family finally came along, and she made herself right at home. She and her new mom both enjoy watching birds at the bird feeder, and Emma has a nice perch for that now. She also took over a living room chair. Seeing her looking so happy after only a few days brings tears to the eyes of the volunteers who cared for her and dreamed of this type of home for her!

Kalli, formerly Brooke, came to the shelter 3 1/2 years ago. We will never know what happened to her in her past, but it would be hard to find a more scared dog. She would curl up on a dog bed and not move. It was heartbreaking to see. But she got lucky and found someone to take a chance on her. She didn't make it easy, especially when she escaped shortly after being adopted and was on the run for 5 days, but she has slowly adjusted and gotten better. She still has her quirks, but has done better than any of the dog trainers consulted would have ever predicted.

New Spay/Neuter clinic up and running!

2011-10-10T23:18:00.001-04:00

Kitties lined up waiting for their turn at the clinic

Our surgical suite isn't big, but it gets the job done!

On October 4th the Medfield Animal Shelter held our second low cost spay/neuter clinic for cats in our new surgical suite. Twenty four more cats have now joined the ranks of those that can no longer reproduce and add to the pet overpopulation problem. Our next clinic, scheduled for October 18th will be for feral cats. Thanks to a grant we received from the Massachusetts Animal Coalition, every cat that is coming to the clinic will be spay or neutered and vaccinated at no cost! Our volunteers are very excited about the new clinic and are very actively helping care for the cats that attend to make sure they are warm and comfortable while they recover from their sugery. If you are interested in volunteering at a spay/neuter clinic, please contact jackie@medfieldshelter.com. We are hoping that in 2011 we might be able to do clinics for dogs and are working on some grants to help fund that initiative.

National Feral Cat Day

2011-09-16T17:12:00.004-04:00

Alley Cat Allies has designated October 16th as National Feral Cat day. Organizations and people that care about the stray and feral cats in their community will be hosting a wide variety of events to show their support for the humane treatment of all cats. The Medfield Animal Shelter will be hosting a spay/neuter clinic just for feral cats on October 18th, in support of National Feral Cat Day. Spaying and neutering addresses the cat overpopulation the in the only way that has proven to be both effective and humane. The clinic is free for feral cats thanks to a grant from the Massachusetts Animal Coalition! Space is limited, and you must make an appointment in advance by calling 508.359.8989.

Ginger was a feral cat that the Medfield Shelter fed and looked out for for many years before she suddenly decided she might want to live indoors. We were never sure what caused her change of heart, but were thrilled to no longer worry about her out in cold and other bad weather conditions.

Alley Cat Allies is a wonderful organization that supports the efforts of individuals and organizations providing care to stray and feral cats. They promote programs that are mutually beneficial for cats and the community, including Trap-Neuter-Return and accessible, affordable spay and neuter services.

Adorable pair needs a home together

2011-08-11T10:40:00.000-04:00

This adorable pair is at the Animal Rescue League in Boston. They are so cute, that we wanted to help spread the word and try to find them a home together. Please spread the word.

We are a super cool, handsome, and amazingly affectionate pair! William is a handsome Maine Coon type. He is, of course, neutered and up-to-date on his vet care. Henry is a 4-year-old male Chihuahua mix. He is also neutered. The pair were transferred to the Animal Rescue League in Boston from another shelter that had too many animals.

Hello friends! Our names are William (kitty) and Henry (dog)! Although cats and dogs often get along and coexist just fine in their homes, it's uncommon to find a pair that is attached at the hip like us! We have been together since William was just a wee kitten, and we plan on staying together for the long haul. Luckily, our friends here at the Animal Rescue League's Boston branch appreciate our strong bond and are very dedicated to helping us find a home where we can stay together, since we would both be devastated if separated.

We'd like to tell you a little bit more about ourselves:

We both love our human friends and are super snuggly!
William's a lap cat and Henry's a lap dog
As you know, we LOVE each other, and you can typically find us curled up in a little ball together!
We're also both pretty playful with our human friends and each other!
Henry loves long walks & enjoys being outdoors in the sunshine, while William should remain an indoor-only kitty.

Please contact the Animal Rescue League in Boston if you would like to be our next owner.

BOSTON

Animal Rescue League of Boston - Adoption Center and Headquarters
10 Chandler Street

Boston, MA 02116

DIRECTIONS
PHONE: (617) 426-9170
FAX: (617) 426-3028

adoption@arlboston.org

Another Happy Tail

2011-08-01T10:01:00.002-04:00

We received this nice note and two adorable pictures over the weekend! Gracie (in the second photo) was adopted from MAS as an adult cat six years ago.

We adopted Melvin, formerly known as Joey, two months ago. Rai has a new best friend for play and wrestling. Melvin loves watching Rai, who even shares his mice with Melvin.

Three out of three cats agree that watching nuthatches intimidate a chipmunk is one of the greatest shows on earth.

Drivers Wanted

2011-06-06T10:42:00.000-04:00

We are very fortunate that Tufts Vet School in Grafton offers a low cost spay/neuter clinic for shelters every Friday. Using the Luke and Lily Lerner Clinic saves us a lot of money when we take pets there, which means we can afford to rescue more of them. We are looking for people that can either drive the pets there in the morning (they need to be there by 8:00 am) or pick them up at the end of the day (they are usually ready at 5:00 pm). It is a 45 minute drive from the Shelter to Tufts.

If you can help one Friday a month, or even once every now and then, we would love to hear from you. The Shelter will supply the crates for transporting the pets. The clinic is located on the gorgeous Tufts Vet School campus in Grafton, just over the Westboro line. Please e-mail medfieldshelter@gmail.com or call the Shelter at 508.359.8989 if you are interested in helping out.

Sad news about a special dog adopted from the shelter a few years ago

2011-06-03T11:22:00.002-04:00

We were very touched when we received this e-mail yesterday from the wonderful person who gave Marie, a very senior Dachshund that came into the Shelter's care in October 2008, a better life than any dog could ever hope for. Marie was quite old back in 2008, so the fact that she lived so long is a true testament to Marie's mom. One of our volunteers named her Marie in honor of a dear friend that had just lost a long battle with cancer.

It is with terrible sadness that I'm letting you know my precious little Marie lost her long and courageous battle with cancer the morning of May 22. Thanks to the very risky surgery her wonderful veterinarian and friend Larry Venezia performed in April 2010, and an additional surgery in July, this brave and beautiful little girl enjoyed over 13 happy extra months of life. Each and every day spent with her was a precious gift. With lots of love and the very best of care, she went from fearing that hands were going to hurt her to believing that every hand held a treat for her, and she would nibble your fingers in anticipation. She went from emaciated former stray to a solid 12.2 pounds. She also went from being terrified of riding in cars to being the first one at the door whenever she heard the keys jingling. Watching her complete turnaround was one of the most incredibly heartwarming experiences of my life.

I've attached one of my favorite photos of Marie, taken last November. I think it captures her spunky personality beautifully.

Marie touched the hearts of everyone she met, with her precious frosty face and huge dark brown eyes. I would often catch her gazing lovingly at me even when she didn't know I saw her doing so. She approached each new adventure (and everything from taking her daily medication to getting an ultrasound exam was an adventure to her) with the enthusiasm of a puppy.

I am heartbroken, and miss my little girl so much, but I know her spirit is still with me and still touching the lives of all who knew and loved her. I will forever be grateful that you contacted Joni from Coast to Coast Dachshund Rescue when Marie was at your shelter. She was truly a precious gift.

Lemonade Stand Benefits the Shelter

2011-05-11T12:15:00.001-04:00

Samantha Howard and her brother Jackson from Medfield, recently had a lemonade stand at the Wheelock School soccer field to benefit the Medfield Animal Shelter. The kids sold 52 cups of lemonade! They came by the shelter recently with a donation $52, which will help buy lots of food for the dogs, cats and bunnies! They had a shelter tour, and are pictured standing between longtime shelter resident Missy the cat and new addition Chubby the bunny. Samantha is five years old and Jackson is three.

Spring Clean Up Scheduled for May 14th

2011-05-09T15:58:00.000-04:00

This Magnolia was planted in memory of Kerry Sheeran, father of dedicated volunteer Mark Sheeran

Spring is here and the tulips and flowering shrubs at the shelter look gorgeous. Every year we organize a spring clean up and this year's clean up is scheduled for May 14th from 8:00 - 1:00. If you are a high school student in need of some community service hours, this is an good way to earn 5 of those hours. We need people to rake out the beds and the vegetable garden, weed, trim and put down mulch. Call the shelter at 508.359.8989 or e-mail medfieldshelter@gmail.com if you want to help. We do ask that you sign up in advance so we can notify you of any changes, and let you know what gardening implements you should bring. Please plan to bring work gloves.

Charles River School Visit

2011-04-30T14:07:00.000-04:00

Second-graders from the Charles River School in Dover came by on April 27th for a visit and brought lots of donations including laundry detergent, cat food, pillows, dog toys, dog beds and trash bags! They had a exciting visit and were lucky to be visited by Fancy the Puggle who joined them outside to enjoy the sunny spring day. Needless to say, Fancy loved the attention!

Friends Helping Friends

2011-04-16T22:12:00.000-04:00

On April 8th, a group called Friends Helping Friends comprised of ten 5th grade girls from Medfield came for a visit and to drop off donations. The had a coin drive at the Dale Street School and raised $200!

Midnight, Cher, Precious and Snoopy adopted this weekend!

2011-04-03T21:31:00.000-04:00

Precious

Cher and Midnight

Snoopy

Cutie pie sister kitties Cher and Midnight were adopted together, and both Snoopy and Precious were adopted into homes where they will have a canine sibling. We've already heard that Snoopy, now named Timber, had a great first day that included running around her new fenced yard and going to the pet store to get some new toys.

More Kids Donating

2011-04-02T13:17:00.000-04:00

Megan and Kaitlyn Whelan of Medfield collected $370 and donated items for the animals. They are twins and just turned 9 years old. They recently came by the shelter with their donations and met some of the shelter pets, including Snoopy the Beagle. We are so happy to have kids like these generous girls supporting the Medfield Animal Shelter!

Brownie Troop 72288 from Sherborn Visited on March 23rd

2011-03-24T08:15:00.001-04:00

A Troop of 3rd grade Brownies from Sherborn visited the shelter yesterday. They are pictured here with a Beagle that was brought in as a stray on 3/22 who clearly loves children!

Troop 74676 Visits the Shelter

2011-03-20T22:53:00.000-04:00

Girls Scout troop 74676 from Walpole visited the shelter on March 15th. They brought in donations of supplies and $73 in cash which we are grateful for! Thanks girls!

Our own Sycamore on Oprah.com

2011-03-14T17:12:00.001-04:00

We nominated Sycamore for Adopt the Internet Day, and she is one of 11 pets featured on Oprah.com. She is so deserving of this special honor.

More Birthday Donations

2011-03-13T23:10:00.000-04:00

For her 10th birthday, Sara Schildwachter of Millis had a birthday party and asked for her friends to bring donations for the shelter instead of gifts. She also told her school class what she was doing and her class donated an additional $120! She is pictured here with her sister, some of the donations she brought, and longtime shelter resident, Missy.

Low Cost Rabies Clinic Scheduled for April 9th

2011-03-13T22:59:00.003-04:00

The Medfield Animal Shelter will be holding a low cost rabies clinic on Saturday April 9, 2011 at the shelter. The rabies clinic is open to all pet owners and the cost is $10 per pet. To receive a three year vaccination you must bring your certificate of last rabies vaccination, or the vaccination will only be good for one year. Dog licenses will also be available at the clinic. Dr. Heather Cochran, DVMwill be vaccinating cats from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and dogs from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. All dogs must be leashed and cats must be in carriers. The Shelter is located at 101 Old Bridge Street (off of West St.) in Medfield. Pets from all towns are welcome.

Rabies is an infectious and contagious disease that can be transmitted to humans. If untreated, rabies is considered 100 percent fatal. Keeping your pets up-to-date on their rabies vaccinations is not only the law; it is also in the best interest of your pets and your family. All dogs, cats and ferrets living in Massachusetts are required by law to be vaccinated against rabies.

Valentine's Sweethearts

2011-02-20T14:43:00.000-05:00

These adorable girls are Quinn and Payton Maley of Medfield. The girls each received $5 as Valentine's gifts and generously decided to donate it to the Medfield Animal Shelter to help homeless pets!

Deerfield Student Raises $2,000 for the Medfield Animal Shelter

2011-02-16T09:47:00.000-05:00

Westwood resident and Deerfield Elementary School student, Dylan Perkins, used his 9th birthday as a reason to help the animals at the Medfield Animal Shelter by raising money to help pay for their care. Instead of gifts, Dylan asked his friends to help him celebrate his birthday by donating money to the shelter to help feed the guinea pigs, cats, bunnies and especially the dogs. "The dogs are my favorite," said Dylan. "I'm so happy that we could help them to have good food."

Dylan has been volunteering at the shelter with his mom for over two years, helping her feed and care for the dogs on Sunday nights. Through the generosity of his friends, their parents, and Dylan's own family, Dylan raised over $500 which through a series of "matches" resulted in the shelter receiving over $2,000! "We're thrilled", said Shelter manager Jane Burchesky. "We get donations of all kinds but this might be the largest donation we've ever received from someone of that age."

Another Before and After Adoption Tale

2011-02-09T22:14:00.000-05:00

Tedy, formerly Malcolm, came to the shelter just before Christmas in 2007. He was a good size puppy, but not extraordinarily large

Six months after he was adopted, his family sent us this adorable picture. Clearly he was growing like a weed!

Here he is at his one year adoption anniversary.

And finally the handsome guy 3 years after being adopted! He's 110 lbs. and still thinks he is a lap dog.

Hope everyone enjoys seeing these as much as we enjoy receiving these updates from his family and all the other families that adopt from the shelter.

Ranger Hosts Girl Scout Troop 77464

2011-01-06T13:41:00.001-05:00

Yesterday 12 members of Girl Scout Troop 77464 came to the shelter for a visit and to drop off donations they had collected for the pets. The girls are 4th graders from Sherborn. To earn their community service badge they hosted a skating party for other troops and collected donations for the shelter!

The girls enjoyed their visit and especially loved the attention from Ranger, an adorable Bassett / Beagle mix available for adoption (he's in the pictures, but you can barely see him since he was surrounded by the girls). Ranger loved all the attention from them, so it was a perfect match!

New Year, More Great Kids Donating!

2011-01-01T23:30:00.000-05:00

David Blowers from Norfolk attends Tri-County High School. He did a donation drive for the shelter and came by today to drop off all the items he collected for the animals! David is planning to do the community service hours he needs for school by volunteering at the shelter. Thanks, David!

There's Still Time to Make a Donation in 2010

2010-12-31T09:57:00.000-05:00

Just a year end reminder that we accept donations from our website, and it's not too late to take advantage of this year's matching challenge fundraiser. Longtime shelter supporters will match every dollar raised -- up to $20K! There is a Donate button on our home page.

Longtime shelter resident Missy (she was given up in November 2005) will be grateful for your support.

Update on Gracie, formerly Willow

2010-12-15T08:41:00.000-05:00

Our cat that we are so blessed to have found at your shelter has turned out to be the most wonderful cat ever. Within 12 hours of her being at her new home she settled right in, slept with us on our bed, continues to eat well, plays and pays attention to us, visitors, as we do to her. We are still trying to decide on a name and try a new name everyday. Today it is Grace/Gracie. Actually she is most attentive to any name. The picture with the antlers tested her humor for sure, but the other picture shows her beautiful face.

Before and After

2010-12-08T16:15:00.000-05:00

Here is Harry (formerly Brendan), a poor terrified dog who was rescued after he was seen dodging cars on Route 128 in Needham. Harry was so terrified, that the guy who rescued him wasn't able to catch him the first time he tried, so he went to McDonald's and bought a hamburger and used that to win his trust. We were happy to help the Needham Animal Control Officer by taking Harry in at the shelter.

And here's the happily ever after part of our story.

Harry was adopted by a wonderful couple who have a lovely Golden Retriever that is now Harry's playmate. Harry spent the summer going to all sorts of fun places on his family's boat. His mom says Harry assumed right away that he belonged right next to his dad at the command center. It's hard to imagine how his dad was able to manage the boat before he had Harry's help.

More Generous Kids

2010-12-05T12:21:00.000-05:00

For her 8th birthday, Jackie McDonald (she's the one holding the kitten) asked her friends to buy something for the animal shelter instead of buying a gift for her. We truly appreciate her generosity, as do the pets at the shelter that benefit from all the gifts Jackie's friends bought for them!

Donations

2010-12-04T13:53:00.000-05:00

Thomas is a very generous young man who took it upon himself to collect donations for the animal shelter! He came by yesterday to drop off all the great stuff he collected.

Wish List

2010-12-03T15:17:00.000-05:00

We depend on donations of food, cleaning supplies and cat litter to care for the shelter residents and would be very grateful for donations of any of the items from the list below. We are very fortunate to have more dog toys than we can store at the moment, and do not need more. Donations can be dropped off at the shelter.

This is a list of items currently on our wish list:

Paper towels
Toilet paper
Bleach
Large trash bags
Scoopable cat litter
Guinea pig treats
Bunny treats
Dog treats
Rabbit pellets

New Matching Challenge Grant Announced To Benefit The Medfield Animal Shelter

2010-11-21T22:26:00.000-05:00

New Matching Challenge Grant Announced To Benefit The Medfield Animal Shelter

The Medfield Animal Shelter is pleased to announce this year's matching challenge fundraiser. A group of longtime shelter supporters has once again offered to match every dollar that is donated to the Medfield Animal Shelter between December 1, 2010 and January 15, 2011 — up to $20,000! Previous matching challenge fundraisers have helped us raise a significant portion of our operating budget for the year, allowing our volunteers to spend more of their time caring for the pets.

The Medfield Animal Shelter’s goal is to help as many pets in need as we possibly can. Most of the cats we take in come to the Shelter after being surrendered by an owner or found as a stray. Most of the dogs we take in come to us from local Animal Control Officers and from overcrowded city shelters that would otherwise have to euthanize them. T he Shelter also sponsors a low cost spay/neuter clinic for cats once a month, and over 450 cats were neutered at the clinics in 2010. All of our work is possible because of our wonderful volunteers and generous supporters.

You can make your donation to this worthy cause go twice as far by making a donation to the Medfield Animal Shelter by January 15, 2011! Please include a note with your donation letting us know that your donation is for the Matching Challenge Grant. The Matching Challenge Grant is open to anyone wishing to support the Medfield Animal Shelter, so please spread the word and make a donation today!

The Medfield Animal Shelter is a no-kill shelter and every dog, cat and rabbit is spayed or neutered prior to being placed in a new home. The Animal Control Officers from both the towns of Dover and Medfield bring all of their stray pets to the Medfield Animal Shelter, and we take in pets in need from surrounding communities as space permits.

For more information about the shelter, please visit our website: www.medfieldshelter.com.

Tax-deductible donations can be sent to:

Medfield Animal Shelter
PO Box 271
Medfield, MA 02052

The puppies in this photo along with their 4 other brothers came to the shelter in March 2010 and all found loving homes within one week!

Take Two

2010-11-05T12:17:00.001-04:00

Sometimes it takes more than one try for a pet to find the right family, especially if they have special training needs or issues. Molly the Beagle was adopted from the shelter a year ago, but was returned last month due to house soiling issues. She is one of the cutest and sweetest Beagles we've ever met, and luckily caught the eye of an adopter willing to take a chance. We checked in with her new family this week, and found out she is doing great and has only had one accident so far!

Mickey was transferred from a large city shelter where he had little chance of being adopted. He's a young and adorable Cockapoo, but had clearly gotten his own way and was not pleased to find out he was no longer in charge. He was adopted quickly, but returned a few weeks later when the family realized they just weren't experienced enough to handle the training he needed. Our volunteers jumped in to make the most of his time at the shelter by teaching him he needed to sit calmly and quietly before he was fed or walked, as well as teaching him basic commands. He has now found a new home, and we are very optimistic that it will be his forever home. That's him heading off to his new life with is mom and dad!

Write Up and Photos from Puppy Mill Awareness Day

2010-10-22T12:18:00.000-04:00

There is a photo album from the dog adoption/puppy mill awareness day the shelter hosted in September posted on the secretaryofinnovation blog written by Bessie and Claude DiDomenica. Claude learned about the Shelter's event when he saw a sign for it while cycling through Medfield. He was kind enough to post an announcement about it the blog.

10/17 Rabies Clinic is Trying to Establish a World's Record

2010-10-12T16:48:00.000-04:00

Second Chance Animal Shelter Aims for World Record

Second Chance Animal Shelter, located in East Brookfield, will be attempting to establish a world record for the highest number of rabies vaccinations given in a single day. Save the date for a rabies vaccination for your cat or dog! Vaccines will be given at a cost of $5.00 each. Dogs must be on leash and cats in carriers.

What: Rabies Vaccination Clinic
Where: Klem’s Department Store, Rt. 9, Spencer, MA
When: October 17th, 2010 – 9am-5pm

Second Chance’s goal is to protect pets against rabies. By law and as a matter of public safety, cats and dogs must be up-to-date with their rabies vaccinations. For more information, go towww.secondchanceanimals.org.

Birthday donations

2010-10-12T16:13:00.000-04:00

For her 8th birthday, Charlotte asked her friends to bring donations to help the pets at the shelter instead of birthday gifts. Charlotte and her sister, Emily, came by the shelter to drop off the donations and visit with the animals. The girls live in Walpole and we think their parents must be awfully proud of them for being so generous.

Puppy Mill bill in Missouri

2010-10-09T15:37:00.000-04:00

It is good to see there is some momentum around regulating puppy mills in Missouri, known as the 'puppy mill capital of the US.'

Happy making people happy

2010-09-13T15:04:00.000-04:00

Happy (formerly Dickenson) is living up to his name by not only being happy, but also making those around him happy. This past weekend he celebrated grandparents day by visiting his owner's mother at the nursing home. His family reports that he's sweet, smart, affectionate, and incredibly cute.

Medfield Animal Shelter to Host Rescue Dog Day on 9/18

2010-09-01T14:57:00.000-04:00

Please join the Medfield Animal Shelter at beautiful Rocky Woods Reservation on Hartford Street in Medfield, MA on Saturday, September 18th from 11 am- 1 pm for our 3rd annual Rescue Dog / Puppy Mill Awareness Day event. This fun and informative event is part of a national educational campaign to highlight the many nice dogs in need of adoption. Volunteers will be on hand to provide information about how to adopt the right dog for your family, and representatives from local rescue groups will be there with some of the adoptable dogs in their care.

There will be lots of activities for the kids, fun raffles, a dog talent contest (all dogs are welcome to participate and prizes will be awarded) and an exciting silent auction including Boston Red Sox memorabilia, a week's stay at a pet-friendly cottage on the Cape, and some nice wines donated by Bullards Market in Medfield. All proceeds from the event will be put used to fund the Shelter's ongoing mission of helping homeless animals. Admission is free. Friendly dogs on leash are welcome to participate in the event with their owners.

If you are considering buying a puppy, we hope you will stop by our informative booth about puppy mills. Can you imagine forcing your family dog to live his or her entire life in a tiny wire cage with no protection from the elements, no vet care and no human contact? That is what life is like for a puppy mill breeding dog. Help us stop the cycle of cruelty that contributes to pet overpopulation and the suffering of countless dogs by learning how to avoid buying a puppy bred in a puppy mill.

We hope to see you and your dog on September 18th! For directions to Rocky Woods, click here

For more information on puppy Mills, please visit Best Friends Animal Society

Removing the skunk smell from a dog

2010-08-31T12:38:00.000-04:00

Ever wondered if there really is a way to remove the skunk smell quickly and easily when your dog has had an unfortunate encounter with a skunk?

The Whole Dog Journal has a great article on how to get the smell out. We have also had great success with a product called Skunk Kleen and make sure we always have it on hand at the shelter

Shelter Volunteer Featured in the Medfield Press

2010-08-08T11:16:00.000-04:00

We were happy to see this nice article about longtime Shelter Volunteer, Henry Kanter, riding is this weekend's Pan Mass Challenge! Henry is riding for his 17th time!

Russell makes himself at home

2010-06-29T10:42:00.000-04:00

It looks like Russell had no problem adjusting to life as a beloved family pet! His new family said they love him and also noted he is the first cat they have ever had that sleeps on his back. Yay for Russell!

Carly Enjoying Her New Home

2010-06-09T11:13:00.001-04:00

We took Carly in from a large city shelter in Boston where she had been overlooked simply because they had so many cats there. In her 8 months at that shelter her weight had ballooned from 7 lbs. to 14lbs. from sitting in a cage all day with nothing to do but eat. She settled right in to our cage-free cat room and once again waited patiently for a home. Luckily after she was featured in the Hometown Weekly, she caught the eye of a nice family and was soon adopted. They sent us photos of her today letting us know they love her and that she is a great cat. These are the updates that make all the work our volunteers do to care for the animals (it is a lot more cleaning and laundry than most people imagine)all worth it.

Felix is Home!

2010-05-25T09:45:00.000-04:00

Scruffy (formerly Felix) settled right into his new home as you can see from these photos. His family took our request for updates and photos seriously (we love that) and sent photos of him the day after he moved in looking as if he had lived there all his life. He even slept in bed with his new parents the first night!

Ciccolina is back home with her family

2010-05-09T12:27:00.000-04:00

Dover Animal Control picked up this senior dog with some obvious health issues yesterday morning after she was found wandering on a fairly busy road. Although she was safe and well cared for at the shelter, we were all angst-ridden knowing she needed her family and they must be frantically looking for her.

Fortunately, Ciccolina's story has a very happy ending and she is back home! It turns our that she bolted from her home during yesterday's early morning thunderstorm, and even though she was picked up by Dover Animal Control a few hours later, when her family repeatedly called the Dover police trying to locate her, they were told no dogs had been picked up. They spent the entire day searching the woods for her and feared the worst had happened, since they thought she would be a likely target for predators given her frail condition.

Desperate to locate her family, we decided to e-mail her photo to many of our Shelter volunteers on Saturday night at 9:30 p.m. and ask them to forward it to anyone they knew in Needham, Dover and Westwood that might be able to help us identify her. Much to our delight one of the people that received the e-mail works at a vet hospital in Needham and instantly recognized Ciccolina! Her family was notified very late last night that she was safe and sound, and they came to retrieve her first thing this morning! The Shelter volunteer who was there for the reunion said Cicci was thrilled to see her parents and happily left wagging her tail the whole time. Ciccolina is 15 years old and needs medication, so we are very happy to have her back where she belongs.

Harry is Enjoying the Boating Life!

2010-04-25T21:17:00.000-04:00

Brendan, now named Harry, was adopted the other day and we already received the nicest update on him. Sounds like he is going to have a very fun summer!

We wanted you both to know that Harry is already a joyful addition to the household - we feel so lucky to have found him! He has charmed everyone he meets, and he's met a bunch of people in these last few days!

He starts each day with a happy dance and a wagging tail.....he is friendly, mellow, playful, and shows an ability to learn. We are working on "Come", which remains a challenge. His genetic makeup is always a source of interest to those who meet him; suggestions tend to fall in the schnauzer/poodle category. I like the fact that he'll always be an original....

Here is a photo taken today, when we all went down to our marina in Fairhaven - Harry checked out the boat on which he'll spend much of the summer season with his new companion, Daisy. He will be visiting the Vineyard, Block Island, and the Elizabeth Islands nearly every weekend. Lucky dog!

Thanks to both of you, for keeping Harry safe and making him available to us - and for the good work you do.

Kids Helping Animals

2010-04-22T23:05:00.000-04:00

We often host groups of kids interested in helping animals, and the pets at the shelter truly enjoy the company. Last week a troop of Brownies came for a visit and Cooper the Beagle enjoyed having his picture taken with them. Yesterday a group of 2nd graders came for a visit and Abby the Jack Russell was thrilled to have so many laps to sit in. Both groups collected donations of supplies, and the Brownies made some very fun fleece dog toys that are canine friends are enjoying.

Busy Weekend

2010-04-18T17:48:00.000-04:00

This has been a busy weekend with four new cats, a new bunny and a little Jack Russell Terrier all arriving at the shelter. We feel fortunate to have space for the new crew, thanks to a few successful adoption weeks. It is always great when longtime supporters and volunteers send their family and friends our way when they mention they are interested in adopting a pet.

Terrier Found Running Loose on Route 128

2010-04-08T11:18:00.001-04:00

This poor little guy was found running loose on Route 128 in Needham on Easter Sunday wearing no collar and having no other ID. He is about 30 lbs. and is very friendly, although he is quite nervous at the animal hospital where he is being held for 10 days to give his family a chance to claim him. If he looks familiar to you, or you have seen a lost dog flyer for him, please contact us. He will be coming to the Medfield Shelter on Tuesday April 13 if he isn't claimed by an owner. We think he is young (1 or 2 years old). The Animal Control Officer that rescued him said he acted like he had died and gone to heaven when she took him on a long walk. She named him Brendan.

Meet Our New Dogs

2010-04-06T16:00:00.000-04:00

We took in two new adorable dogs today. Petey ( 1 - 2 year old Sheltie mix) and Cooper ( 5 year old Beagle) came to us from a much bigger shelter in Springfield. They are already great pals and are both sweet and gentle dogs.

Thank You Medfield Brownie Troop #7487!

2010-03-24T11:00:00.001-04:00

Wow, Medfield Brownie Troop #7487 collected donations for the shelter and boy did they do a great job! They came by for a visit and to drop off the donations yesterday, and they filled our lobby. They brought us all of our most needed items including tons of canned cat and dog food, laundry detergent, cat litter, garbage bags, sponges and much, much more. We are so grateful to this generous and hard-working group of girls. There is not a day that goes by that we don't feel grateful to live in such a generous community.

Adopt a Shelter Pet Stamps Coming Soon!

2010-03-18T21:18:00.000-04:00

On April 30, 2010, the Postal Service™ will issue a 44–cent, Animal Rescue: Adopt a Shelter Pet special stamp in ten designs, designed by Derry Noyes of Washington, DC.

With these 10 stamp designs, the U.S. Postal Service hopes to raise awareness of the need to adopt shelter pets. The pets depicted on the stamps were photographed by Sally Andersen-Bruce near her home in New Milford, Connecticut. All had been homeless at one time; all but one had been adopted when they were photographed.

Photos of Lucky (formerly Louie) in his home

2010-03-08T21:16:00.000-05:00

We heard from Lucky the Corgi's family today and received some adorable photos of him. Sounds like he is indeed Lucky, according to this nice note:

Lucky rocks! He gets along really well with our 8-year old Hovawart and is much better with the cats than she is. He’s very funny, loves to sleep on the sofa, to go for walks in the woods and is the cutest dog on the planet (according to my husband who is completely smitten with Lucky).
He’s a great addition to our family, we’re lucky to have him.

Rabies Clinic April 3rd

2010-03-08T12:24:00.002-05:00

The Medfield Animal Shelter will be hosting a rabies vaccination clinic on Saturday, April 3rd at the Shelter. The rabies clinic is open to all pet owners and the cost is $10 per pet. To receive a three year vaccination you must bring your certificate of last rabies vaccination, or the vaccination will only be good for one year. Dr. Heather Cochran, DVM, from Main Street Veterinary Hospital in Millis will be vaccinating cats from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and dogs from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. All dogs must be leashed and cats must be in carriers.

Three new dogs arrived at the shelter today

2010-03-05T19:34:00.000-05:00

We took in a yellow Lab mix, Barry, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Mabel, and a Great Pyrenees mix, Anastasia, who looks like a Golden Retriever. They are a fun and friendly bunch and get along well together, so they are planning to enjoy this weekend's sunny weather out in our doggie play yard.

Taco Saves the Life of a Cat!

2010-02-16T12:54:00.002-05:00

Taco was adopted from our shelter back in August. He and his owner are in Florida for the winter, and that is where Taco made his life-saving rescue. A friend of his owner was devastated when her cat got out of the house. She and her friends spent days searching for him and had given up hope of finding him. Taco was visiting one day 3 weeks after the cat disappeared, and wouldn't stop pawing at a drawer in their spare room. They told him to stop several times, but he would keep going right back to the drawer. When they finally opened the drawer and looked inside, they found their missing kitty! He was very dehydrated, but alive. What a good dog!

Join the fun on Facebook

2010-02-12T14:20:00.000-05:00

We are sharing news, photos and adoption stories on our Facebook page. Did you adopt a pet from the Medfield Animal Shelter? We'd love to see photos. Want to see who is new? We post photos on an almost daily basis. Become a fan of the Medfield Shelter and you will see our Facebook posts in your news stream. Join the fun!

Chloe's Outing

2010-02-08T21:13:00.001-05:00

One of our volunteer dog walkers took Chloe out for a 2 hour hike with her very well-socialized dogs yesterday. Chloe was nervous in the car but had a great time and came back exhausted. Chloe is a very smart, sweet, affectionate and playful dog that had a rough start. We are fairly certain her first owner was abusive, since she and her canine sibling were both very reactive to one of our male volunteers. Her brother found the perfect home that has let him acclimate at his own pace while also socializing him at the dog park and taking him to many new places. We are hoping to find a similar home for Chloe. We've just enrolled Chloe in an obedience class at Alpha Dog K9 Training and if she is adopted before the class ends we will have her new family attend the classes.

New Dogs

2010-01-19T22:59:00.000-05:00

We took in two new dogs at the shelter today. Star was transferred from Save a Dog, because they needed space to help out a shelter in WV that just lost 50 cats and 13 dogs in a devastating fire. She's a really fun and playful Lab mix. Betsy came to us from the Norwood shelter. She was there for 6 months and surprisingly, no one adopted her. It is hard to believe such a cute dog was overlooked. She is very affectionate, sweet and energetic. If you know anyone that would be interested in either dog, please send them our way.

Chloe Meets Her New Canine Sibling

2010-01-09T23:10:00.000-05:00

Chloe is being adopted by a wonderful family that adopted a Collie mix puppy from the shelter in July 2008. The girls met for a play date today and Chloe was as happy as could be. Mandy is so confident and well socialized that it made Chloe completely at ease and before we knew it she was letting the kids rub her tummy. Chloe will be staying at the shelter until she is spayed, but boy will she have fun with her new family and canine friend!

Some pics of Chloe and Charlie the Cattle Dog (?) mixes

2010-01-01T15:17:00.005-05:00

Noel is in from the cold

2009-12-31T19:42:00.008-05:00

Noel came to the shelter yesterday after an animal lover in Sherborn managed to get him in a carrier. She had seen him around for a few weeks and won him over with tuna. Tuesday he was out in the bitter cold fending for himself, and today he is inside enjoying lots of food, a fleece blanket, and a homemade catnip toy sewed by a kind shelter supporter. He looks pretty pleased with his new digs.

Snow Dogs

2009-12-20T15:28:00.006-05:00

Bart and Bailey are such good friends and had a blast playing in the snow together this morning.

Update from Abe and Johnny (formerly Champ)

2009-12-15T11:20:00.009-05:00

We received this nice note from the family that adopted Abe and Champ from us this past summer. The pair, while not related, bonded like siblings and played together all the time, so we were quite happy when they were adopted together.

We thank you every day for Abe and Johnny(Champ). Abe LOVES my husband and
follows him around constantly. When Jack is working on a project, Abe will crawl
over the hammer or whatever other tool Jack is using to "help". Johnny is much
more laid back and hangs out with me, sleeping on my feet every night. They are
the best of friends and perform amazing gymnastic feats as they chase each other
around the house leaping over the furniture as they go. They have brought so
much fun and laughter into our house! Attached our pictures of Johnny hanging
out in the wood basket and Abe just hanging out.

Birthday Gifts Benefit the Shelter

2009-12-13T12:00:00.003-05:00

For her 9th birthday, Liora asked her friends to donate items on the Shelter's Wish List, rather than give her presents. She came by with her family to drop off a pile of donations (you can see some of the bags in the background) and for a quick visit with the pets. The cats and dogs at the shelter will be eating well for a while thanks to Liora's generosity!

Bandit and his favorite toy

2009-12-06T13:53:00.001-05:00

Feral cats need caretakers, too

2009-12-05T11:26:00.003-05:00

Cats are, by their very nature, companion animals. That means each and every cat deserves a human companion to love and care for him or her. It stinks when a cat is born outside and no human cares about him or her. It's even worse when a human decides to be mean to them. Heather and Haley were born outside. Their mom was reportedly killed by a car. The homeowner threatened to do harm to these innocent kittens unless they were "removed." And so now these unsocialized youngsters are under the care of the Medfield Animal Shelter and it is our duty to ensure they will have a happy future. We estimate they are about 5 months old. They are extremely frightened. They are thankfully in an excellent foster home where family members will interact with them as much as possible in order to determine if they will want to be indoor family pets or if they will fear humans forever preferring to live outdoors away from humans or perhaps to work as a barn cat. Haley and Heather are young and deserve a chance. We are extremely thankful to all our friends who help cats in need and also to our foster families who give these deserving animals a chance.

Our Biggest Fundraiser of the Year Starts Tomorrow

2009-11-30T19:26:00.003-05:00

We are so happy to announce this year's matching challenge fundraiser is for even more money than last year! A small group of longtime shelter supporters has once again offered to match every dollar that is donated to the Medfield Animal Shelter between December 1, 2009 and January 15, 2010 — up to $20,000! Previous matching challenge fundraisers have helped us raise most of our operating budget for the year, allowing our volunteers to spend more time helping pets in need.

This year's fundraiser is very important to the Shelter, as we have experienced a significant increase in the number of pets needing shelter due to the economy. As always, we are trying to help as many as we possibly can. In the last year we have taken in many adoptable dogs from local Animal Control Officers and dog pounds where they would otherwise have been euthanized. We also sponsored a veterinarian who has provided low cost spay and neuter services at the Shelter for over 500 cats in the last 11 months. These services are a crucial part of our ongoing commitment to help end the overpopulation of pets that results in approximately 5 million (many people think the number is much higher) companion pets being euthanized at shelters in the U.S. every year. All of our work is possible thanks to our wonderful volunteers and supporters.

You can make your donation to this worthy cause go twice as far by making a donation to the Medfield Animal Shelter by January 15, 2010. The Matching Challenge Grant is open to anyone wishing to support the Medfield Animal Shelter, so please spread the word and make a donation today!

The Medfield Animal Shelter is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization. The Shelter is a no-kill and every pet is spayed or neutered prior to being placed in a new home. The Animal Control Officers from both the towns of Dover and Medfield bring all of their stray pets to the Medfield Animal Shelter, and we take in pets from the surrounding area as space permits.

Tax-deductible donations can be sent to:

Medfield Animal Shelter
PO Box 271
Medfield, MA 02052

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T21:04:00.001-05:00

Wasn't it nice of Carmen and Cora to come to the Medfield Animal Shelter and help to make it a Happy Thanksgiving for the shelter pets. They brought fresh greens for the bunnies and food for the cats and dogs. And best of all, they took some time to visit with the animals and help them have something to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. We know Purry, the kitty here, is very thankful. Purry had a rough time before he arrived at the Shelter. But he is safe and loved now and always thankful when someone makes a lap and lets him climb into it. Thanks to all of you who remember the companion animals this Thanksgiving. They have no choice but to rely on us to meet all their needs.

A Week to be Thankful

2009-11-25T18:32:00.003-05:00

This past week several of the pets in our care found homes, so we are feeling very thankful. Elvis the Beagle and Mika the Scottish Terrier went to their new homes today. Skooch the gorgeous white cat is in his new home as is Rupert the guinea pig and Moses the parakeet. But the best news of all came in a phone call today from Tiana's foster family letting us know they had fallen in love with her and wanted to adopt her!

Tiana was abandoned at our door back in August and had spent much of September and October hissing at our volunteers or hiding, because she was so scared. She finally started to trust a few of our volunteers and would come out of hiding for lap time. It turns out she is a very different cat in a home environment and sits on her new mom's lap and sleeps with her at night and has since the first day they brought her home. She is also very playful. This is just one more example of why the families that agree to foster pets are so important to us. Good job turning your family into foster failures, Tiana!

Birthday Donations

2009-11-19T20:56:00.001-05:00

How fortunate are we to be part of a community where 7 year old children are so thoughtful and generous that they give up birthday presents for themselves and ask family and friends to help homeless animals instead. That's just what 7 year old Sarah (right) did. Instead of accepting birthday gifts for herself, Sarah asked everyone to bring a gift for the shelter. We are so thankful to her for all the "presents" she brought for the animals. Sarah and her sisters visited the shelter and are in the photo along with Missy, one lucky cat who will benefit from Sarah's kindness and generosity.

Kanga

2009-11-18T21:14:00.004-05:00

We were so sad to hear that Kanga, a really fun and loving dog adopted from our shelter 7 years ago, recently died due to Leukemia. Her illness came on quickly and she was gone before her family even had time to come to terms with the thought of losing her. Kanga was at our old shelter, which was really just a shack that didn't even have running water, for 7 months. In spite of appearing as our Pet of the Week in the Hometown Weekly newspaper three times, hardly anyone even expressed interest in meeting her, due to her energy level and lack of obedience training.

The couple that adopted her proved to be extremely dedicated and caring dog owners who invested the time and energy in making sure she received the exercise and training she needed to be a great pet and she thrived under their care. They are devastated by their loss of this loved member of their family, and those of us that knew and loved Kanga are too.

This Feral Kitty Has Learned the Joy of Having a Home

2009-11-16T17:20:00.005-05:00

One of our volunteers received this wonderful note and update from a family in Dover that she helped with a stray cat that had been hanging out near their home for a long time. The best results always seem to come from people who care about the welfare of companion animals working together, since this cat wouldn't be considered adoptable by too many people.

Just a quick "thank you" and update on the feral cat you helped us with. As you'll remember, the gray cat we caught and brought to you in August had been hanging around our house over the prior winter (and perhaps the winter before). You guys cared for her for the weekend, and on Monday you got her all tested, vaccinated, generally cleaned up, and pronounced her an already spayed female, likely from a previous catch-neuter-release program (one ear slightly tipped).

Anyway, she is happy and healthy and slowly gaining confidence. After a few weeks of hiding behind a toilet, she moved into a living room. She has been eating kitty treats from hand for a couple of months, and is now starting to let us pat her! She is full of purring and really seems to like contact with us.

Having come so far in the three short months she's been inside, I am excited to see what the future holds for her. She gets on great with our other cat, and it is so satisfying on these cold rainy November days to see her sitting on a couch, not sheltering under a bush.

Thank you again for your great help with her in August!

Lots of new faces at the shelter

2009-11-11T12:11:00.006-05:00

Every time a pet gets adopted from the shelter, a new pet comes in. Here are some of the pets that have recently come to the shelter in order to find a new home.

More birthday donations

2009-11-02T11:09:00.002-05:00

Just as our supplies of frequently used items such as canned cat food, paper towels and dish detergent were running low, Andy Cochran came to our rescue. Andy recently turned 7 and asked his friends to bring donations for the Medfield Animal Shelter, rather than gifts for him. In addition to this generous gesture, Andy and his family also help the Shelter on a daily basis by fostering cats and kittens in need.

Octavius Makes Himself at Home

2009-10-24T10:22:00.002-04:00

Octavius waited a long time to find a forever family of his own. We are very thankful to his foster family for making sure he was safe and loved while waiting. As you can see they did a great job helping him feel comfortable with dogs and kids, so he fit right in with his new family. We are also very thankful to his new forever family. What a joy it is to receive these photos showing everyone in the family getting along so well.

October 16th is National Feral Cat Day

2009-10-15T23:14:00.002-04:00

National Feral Cat Day is a day set aside by Alley Cat Allies to help raise awareness and protect feral cats. What is a feral cat? A feral cat is NOT a unique breed of cat. A feral cat is simply a cat who has not had the benefit of human socialization as a youngster. Hence, they fear humans and are generally happier living outdoors away from humans. The best things we can do for feral cats are as follows: spay/neuter them in order to prevent a next generation and provide food and shelter for them in the place they know as home.

The Medfield Animal Shelter will join groups nationwide to mark National Feral Cat Day. On Monday, October 19th, working with volunteer trappers and the S.T.O.P. (Stop The Overpopulation of Pets) Clinic, we will spay/neuter approximately 30 feral cats. Once the cats recover from their surgery, they will be returned "home" where dedicated caregivers will continue to provide food and shelter for them.

This is a photo of Ginger. She is a feral cat who has survived for years with no human contact. Caregivers have provided food and shelter for her but that was all. Suddenly she has decided she wants to be friendly instead of feral. It happens. But the outdoors will probably always be her home. We believe trap, neuter, return is the best method of population control for feral cats. If you are interested in learning more about what you can do to help feral cats in your neighborhood, please email medfieldcatlover@aol.com.

Why Our Kittens Are All in Foster Homes

2009-10-14T22:04:00.002-04:00

We are so grateful for all the foster families who are part of the Medfield Animal Shelter. They make a world of difference. As this precious kitten and so many others can attest, getting to sleep in the arms of someone who loves you is so much more fun than sleeping alone at the shelter.

A Nice Update on Dexter the Dachshund

2009-10-12T19:22:00.004-04:00

We received this nice note from Dexter's new family:

It didn't take long to fall in love with Dexter, our black mini-dachshund. After a few days of recovering from surgery and sleeping a lot, he woke up. He has been playful and energetic ever since. We put the bed you gave us in the corner of our bedroom and added a blue fleece cover and his own yellow fleece. He usually takes a running start from the bedroom door and leaps into his bed diving expertly under the covers. You can't tell that he's in there.

Although our family is just my husband and I, Dexter has met plenty of friends, Johnny who was adopted as an abandoned dog from Puerto Rico and Tessie, my daughter's energetic black lab. Dexter holds his own with all other dogs and he's polite and interested.

Dexter loves going for walks in the neighborhood. Eventually he will be able to run around his yard, but right now he slips easily between the verticals of our new fence. (we're working on fattening him up a bit, but that won't do the job. He is dedicated to escape and exploration.We're checking out ways to make the yard Dexter-safe.)

He has figured out how to get on the living room couch. He takes a running jump onto the armchair nearby and, like a cat, he scales and leaps over the arms of the furniture to attain his comfy perch. Sometimes he falls asleep on the arm of the couch. When we both go out, he happily sleeps in his crate in the living room. We've padded it with more fleece blankets and covered most of it with a tablecloth, so he feels safe in his dog-cave.

Most of all Dexter loves to be held and talked to. He follows us from room to room and wants to be part of things. And he certainly is an important part of our family. Thanks for finding us a wonderful dog.

We'll send a picture as soon as we can. If you receive a picture of a black blur on-line, you'll know that it's the little guy who doesn't like to sit still.

Rescued Kittens

2009-10-11T11:50:00.004-04:00

We love to write about the good things happening at the shelter, but there are also many sad events that keep the shelter full even during weeks when we have many adopters taking home new pets.

Yesterday we volunteered to take in these two kittens who had been rescued by Needham Animal Control. The kittens were found in a box in the middle of a road. There were two boxes. People who lived near where the boxes were found thought someone had thrown their trash in the road. The boxes first appeared around dusk this past week on a cold, rainy night. They were still there at 8:00 am the following morning. Thankfully someone went to move what they thought were empty boxes out of the middle of the road. These two innocent and adorable kittens were found soaking wet and shaking with fear inside one of the boxes. The other box had been torn apart and was empty. We fear that perhaps the kittens' mother had been in that box. How could anyone do something so cruel? Needham Animal Control and kind-hearted people who live in the area where the kittens were found are keeping watch to see if mom or whoever was in the other box comes around. We hate to think that we live among people who could do something so mean. We are however encouraged by the efforts of the rescuers and Needham Animal Control in saving these precious little girls. They are now in a foster home where they are getting some intensive tender loving care. We hope these precious little ones will completely forget about the cruelty they experienced and only remember all the love they are now receiving in their foster home. We are eager to find these friendly little babies a special and very loving forever home.

Another Good Adoption Day

2009-10-10T22:04:00.006-04:00

Today was another great adoption day with four kitties and a guinea pig all going to new homes! The lucky pets that were adopted are: Bruschi, Nadia, Tiger & Boots (they were adopted together) and Lexi. Bruschi and Nadia were cared for by two of our wonderful foster families, and one of the foster families has already stepped up to help with some newly rescued kittens.

It takes a team of very dedicated volunteers to make these adoptions happen. Our supporters and Facebook friends who spread the word about the pets also play a big part. So, thanks everyone!

Eight dogs placed in 8 days!

2009-10-09T21:34:00.005-04:00

As of 6:30 pm today we have no dogs at the shelter and our volunteers are sighing a collective sigh of relief as a very busy few weeks of dog care comes to a brief end. We placed Annabelle, Dexter, Cinna, Strait, Coco, Lydia, Fannie and Liza in new homes between last Friday and this Friday. We are hoping for a big cat adoption weekend this weekend as there are still many pets in need and we will quickly be refilling the spots now open thanks to so many dogs being adopted. Here are a few of the lucky dogs now in new homes courtesy of Ty Bellitti, a wonderful photographer who came to the shelter yesterday to take photos of the pets available for adoption..

Another Happy Tail

2009-10-03T09:33:00.005-04:00

Finn's family has been volunteering at the shelter for a long time. After taking him home for "just one night" they decided they couldn't part with him and joined the ranks of foster failures. If ever a dog has left the life of shelter dog behind, it is this cutie. His family sent these cute photos of him with this note:

Finn loves his new family, his canine older sister, swimming in the pool (and using the pool float) and his new life of being a beloved member of our family.

Supermodel Marie

2009-10-02T20:05:00.003-04:00

Marie was a very senior Dachshund brought to our shelter last fall. This little old girl broke our hearts since we felt she needed and deserved to be in a home. Fortunately our friends at Coast to Coast Dachshund Rescue stepped right in and found her a wonderful foster home. Her foster mom was smitten with her and became a foster failure (that's what we call it when the foster can't part with a pet and adopts him/her). Here's Marie modelling at a fundraiser for the Edward Gorey House this past August.

Today's Happy Tail

2009-09-29T22:49:00.004-04:00

On a day with more than its share of bad news, it was so nice to receive this e-mail with two adorable photos.

We had the wonderful experience of adopting another cat through your shelter. We adopted Marlo (who's former name was Cheeto) back in April and he has settled very nicely in with our family. It took a lot of TLC as he was very scared when he first got here but I think Sully has really brought him out of his shell. They even look a like, so much at times its hard to tell them apart - they are two peas in a pod and I am so happy to have both of them in our lives!!

I have attached a few pictures. The one of Sully and Marlo sleeping, Marlo is on the red comforter and Sully is under the blue. The one of them in the living room, Sully is on the right and Marlo is on the left.

I hope you enjoy the pictures!!

Donation from the Girl Scouts

2009-09-27T12:33:00.006-04:00

On Friday, September 25th, which just happened to be the Shelter's fifth anniversary, Troop 74873 from Medfield brought us tons of donations! They sold so many cookies earlier in the year that not only were they able to make donation to other groups in town, they were also able to buy $150 worth of food, cat litter and dog and cat toys to donate! Caleb, the playful Cocker Spaniel tried out quite a few of the toys during the visit and Mackenzie, a tuxedo cat did, too.

Good things happen when people work together

2009-09-26T23:49:00.004-04:00

Around 6am on the morning of Saturday, September 26th, an individual set out for a walk with his dog. In a very isolated, quiet wooded area, he spotted a ball of white fluff. When he looked closer, six tiny kittens revealed themselves. Thankfully this person immediately called Animal Control who quickly responded, picked up the babies and brought them to the shelter. Shelter volunteers were eager to welcome these adorable hungry babies and scrambled to provide something enticing for what was undoubtedly their first meal other than mother's milk. The family who found the kittens was so kind that they offered to provide a temporary home for the babies until they are old enough to be adopted. These babies are going to get plenty of tender loving care by the children in the home which will enable them to grow into self-confident, well-adjusted, happy cats.

The story gets even better. No one forgot about Mom. Mom returned to look for her babies and thankfully Animal Control was there to rescue her and bring her to safety. She was wearing a flea collar that was nearly strangling her so we know she once belonged to someone. Mom is super, super sweet. She is absolutely exhausted. You can imagine how difficult it must be for a young, domestic cat to try and protect not only herself but also her 6 white babies out in the wild. By 8:30 pm, Mom and babies were reunited. They are all safe. There is plenty of food for everyone and Mom can get a good night's sleep - something she has probably not had in a very long time. Thank you to all the people who played a role in saving the life of this sweet young new mother and her 6 adorable babies. We sure hope we can find loving forever families for everyone when the time is right for them to be adopted. But for now, we are all just celebrating the joy of this new beginning.

Photos from Puppy Mill Awareness Day

2009-09-21T21:30:00.001-04:00

We had a gorgeous day for our event Saturday and everyone seemed to have a good time. Here are a few photos from the event.

Tomorrow is our dog adoption event!

2009-09-18T19:20:00.006-04:00

Tomorrow is Puppy Mill Awareness Day, a national event designed to educate the public about the horrific conditions at the large breeding facilities, also know as puppy mills. According to Awarenessday.org, documented problems of puppy mills include: unsanitary facilities, overbreeding, inbreeding, disease, minimal veterinary care, poor quality of food and shelter, lack of human socialization, overcrowded cages and the killing of unwanted animals. Often the puppies are sold directly to the public via the Internet, newspaper ads, or at the mill itself. In other cases they are sold to brokers and pet shops across the country.

Our event aims to combine education with some fun, so we have a number of activities planned including: several local rescue groups attending with dogs currently looking for homes, our adopted dog parade featuring some of the wonderful family dogs adopted from our shelter as well as from other shelters and rescues, and our second annual dog talent contest with many prizes awarded to the dogs with the best tricks. Combine that with our cookie social and our raffle, and we think it will be a fun event for the whole family. Please join us and feel free to bring your dog (on leash, of course).

What a difference having a loving family makes!

2009-09-14T13:22:00.006-04:00

We received the nicest letter from Boomer's family letting us know they are celebrating his one year anniversary of adopting him today. We took Boomer in through the Massachusetts Animal Coalition's PILOT program last year, and were appalled at his emaciated condition, given he had been at at an animal control facility for 2 months after being picked up as a stray.

Well, look at him now! His owner made a big commitment to him and takes him on two very long walks every day, and he couldn't be a handsomer Lab now.

If you adopted a pet from us and want to make the day of every volunteer at the shelter, feel free to send us notes, photos, e-mail or post on our Facebook page so we can see your "Happy Tail."

Puppy Mill Awareness Day is Almost Here

2009-09-11T12:36:00.003-04:00

Millions of people unknowingly buy puppy mill puppies each year from pet shops or from Web sites of what appear to be legitimate breeders. Puppy Mill Awareness Day is an annual event designed to educate and inform the public about the neglect, unsanitary conditions, forced confinement and ailments caused by lack of basic vet care common to puppy mill dogs. On Saturday, September 19th, the Medfield Animal Shelter will be taking part in our second Puppy Mill Awareness Day by hosting an event that is designed to be both fun and educational.

Please join us to learn more about puppy mills and what you can do to help stop the mistreatment of dogs caught up in this inhumane industry. The day will feature an adopted dog parade and a dog talent contest open to all dogs. Volunteers will be on hand to provide information about how to adopt the right dog for your family, and representatives from many local rescue groups will be there with some of the adoptable dogs in their care. We will be serving refreshments at 11:00 followed by our Adopted dog parade showcasing many wonderful dogs adopted from shelters and rescues. All people and dog-friendly dogs are welcome to participate in the event. Dogs must be on a leash. Please call (508) 359-8989 or visit our website at MedfieldShelter.com if you need more information about the event.

There is a lot of good information on the Web about puppy mills. If you are not familiar with puppy mills and their treatment of dogs and puppies, and want to learn more about why people that care about animals think they should be illegal this is a good place to start learning more.

Today's Happy Tail

2009-09-01T13:35:00.003-04:00

We wanted to say Hi and let you know that Owen & Oscar are so happy in thier new home. They are wonderful pets!

Weekend Adoptions

2009-08-31T11:37:00.006-04:00

Thanks to his Pet of the Week feature in the Hometown Weekly, handsome Luther the Maine Coon cat was adopted! We had dozens of calls about him and the first person that called adopted him. The other kitty he was abandoned with, Lottie, was also adopted, so we were very, very happy.

Two pets that weren't even with us long enough to make it to the Web site were also adopted. Little Jeremy the Guinea Pig was surrendered on Saturday and adopted on Sunday, and Chester the Shih Tzu was adopted by a wonderful couple that adopted a senior Bichon from us 3 years ago.

Caleb the Cocker Spaniel

2009-08-24T21:21:00.003-04:00

Caleb, a 2 year old Cocker Spaniel, arrived at the shelter today. He is adorable, but was very anxious which is understandable. We are planning to provide him with our standard treatment of many walks per day to help wind him down and will post more about him once we get to know him. If you know anyone looking for a Cocker Spaniel, please let them know about Caleb.

Adoptions!

2009-08-23T20:37:00.009-04:00

This summer has been a very slow time for adoptions, and for the first time that we can remember, many of our kittens were still in foster homes weeks after they were old enough to go to a new home.

This weekend Taco (Chihuahua), Jamie, Lucy & Charlie and Pudding all went to new homes. Jamie had been with us for two weeks which is a long time for a dog to spend at our shelter, so we had grown very attached to him.

Pudding, a handsome orange tabby, had been working as a greeter in our lobby and took an active interest in all work conducted at the desk, so it will feel odd not to have his "help", but we are very happy to see him find a home that appreciates his good qualities and wasn't put off by him being a little fresh.

Lucy and Charlie were adopted by a family that drove almost 2 hours to adopt them. They liked knowing the pair had been in a great foster home with 4 kids, 2 large dogs and several cats.

We also took in an adorable young bunny today. She was rescued by a dedicated bunny rescuer who saved her from a bad situation. We are still mulling over names, but here is a photo.

More Kids Helping Animals

2009-08-10T16:45:00.003-04:00

We never get tired of these stories, and always feel fortunate to be part of a community where even young children show so much passion for helping animals.

Olivia, Katie and Corey decided they wanted to make a difference. They wanted to do something to help animals. And so the three of them (along with their helpful parents) squeezed lots of lemons for lemonade and baked chocolate chip cookies. They organized a sale and donated their earnings to the Medfield Animal Shelter. These youngsters should be an inspiration to all of us. Everyone has the ability to make the world a better place. Thank you to Katie, Olivia and Corey. The kids are shown here with Wayne, one of the shelter residents who will benefit from their generosity.

Supercat Sundae on Vacation

2009-08-09T11:01:00.004-04:00

We loved this cute note sent to us by Sundae the kitty.

Dear Friends,

Here I am on vacation in Harwich on Cape Cod. They won't let me go outside because there could be coyotes. But - bird and chipmunk watching is very good from the screen porch!

My mom was talking about what a wonderful job you did on the last newsletter! She was sharing it with her friends.

Love,

Supercat Sundae

Editor's note: Sundae earned the title "Supercat" when she found and eliminated some mice that her family didn't even know had taken up residence in their house.

More Birthday Donations!

2009-08-07T13:55:00.000-04:00

Though the animals of the Medfield Animal Shelter are all waiting for families to call their own, they are actually very fortunate in some ways. The reason is that so many nice people help them feel safe and loved while they wait. Izzy is shown here with her dog she and her family adopted from Save A Dog. Izzy gave up birthday presents so she could help the animals at the shelter. Instead of her friends and family buying gifts for Izzy, everyone gave a donation to the Animal Shelter. What a truly thoughtful thing to do. The animals as well as shelter volunteers are so thankful to Izzy for this kind deed.

Medfield Animal Shelter News

Happy Tail: Snickers and Oreo

2012 begins with some happy tails!

Update on Handsome

Matching Challenge Underway

More photos from our Happy Tails files

New Spay/Neuter clinic up and running!

National Feral Cat Day

Adorable pair needs a home together

BOSTON

Animal Rescue League of Boston - Adoption Center and Headquarters10 Chandler Street

Boston, MA 02116

DIRECTIONSPHONE: (617) 426-9170FAX: (617) 426-3028

adoption@arlboston.org

Another Happy Tail

Drivers Wanted

Sad news about a special dog adopted from the shelter a few years ago

Lemonade Stand Benefits the Shelter

Spring Clean Up Scheduled for May 14th

Charles River School Visit

Friends Helping Friends

Midnight, Cher, Precious and Snoopy adopted this weekend!

More Kids Donating

Brownie Troop 72288 from Sherborn Visited on March 23rd

Troop 74676 Visits the Shelter

Our own Sycamore on Oprah.com

More Birthday Donations

Low Cost Rabies Clinic Scheduled for April 9th

Valentine's Sweethearts

Deerfield Student Raises $2,000 for the Medfield Animal Shelter

Another Before and After Adoption Tale

Ranger Hosts Girl Scout Troop 77464

New Year, More Great Kids Donating!

There's Still Time to Make a Donation in 2010

Update on Gracie, formerly Willow

Before and After

More Generous Kids

Donations

Wish List

New Matching Challenge Grant Announced To Benefit The Medfield Animal Shelter

Take Two

Write Up and Photos from Puppy Mill Awareness Day

10/17 Rabies Clinic is Trying to Establish a World's Record

Second Chance Animal Shelter Aims for World Record

Birthday donations

Puppy Mill bill in Missouri

Happy making people happy

Medfield Animal Shelter to Host Rescue Dog Day on 9/18

Removing the skunk smell from a dog

Shelter Volunteer Featured in the Medfield Press

Russell makes himself at home

Carly Enjoying Her New Home

Felix is Home!

Ciccolina is back home with her family

Harry is Enjoying the Boating Life!

Kids Helping Animals

Busy Weekend

Terrier Found Running Loose on Route 128

Meet Our New Dogs

Thank You Medfield Brownie Troop #7487!

Adopt a Shelter Pet Stamps Coming Soon!

Photos of Lucky (formerly Louie) in his home

Rabies Clinic April 3rd

Three new dogs arrived at the shelter today

Taco Saves the Life of a Cat!

Join the fun on Facebook

Chloe's Outing

New Dogs

Chloe Meets Her New Canine Sibling

Some pics of Chloe and Charlie the Cattle Dog (?) mixes

Noel is in from the cold

Snow Dogs

Update from Abe and Johnny (formerly Champ)

Birthday Gifts Benefit the Shelter

Bandit and his favorite toy

Feral cats need caretakers, too

Our Biggest Fundraiser of the Year Starts Tomorrow

Happy Thanksgiving

A Week to be Thankful

Birthday Donations

Animal Rescue League of Boston - Adoption Center and Headquarters
10 Chandler Street

DIRECTIONS
PHONE: (617) 426-9170
FAX: (617) 426-3028