Only a Solar Eclipse is Rarer Than This Dog’s Condition

For dogs, surviving a cleft palate—an opening between the mouth and nose that occurs when tissues separating these two cavities fail to grow together—is exceedingly rare because the condition makes it nearly impossible to suckle, resulting in most puppies born with the condition dying in their first days of life. But a one-year-old dog surrendered to the MSPCA-Angell’s Boston adoption center proves you can only blot out the sun for so long. He's set to overcome his next challenge: surgery to correct his condition so he can be re-homed. “Clefford,” as he has since been named by adoption center staff, was surrendered after his previous owners lost their home. Now the MSPCA is pulling out all the stops to get him the help he needs.

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Dog Dies in Jamaica Plain After Being Left in Hot Car; Criminal Charges Possible

Boston Police and Inspectional Services are investigating the death of a pit bull that had been left in a hot car on Burroughs Street in Jamaica Plain Tuesday afternoon. The dog was rescued but died shortly after being taken to the MSPCA-Angell Animal Medical Center. “His temperature on arrival was 109.7, which is as high as the thermometer will go, so it could have been higher than that,” said Boston Animal Care and Control Director Amanda Kennedy, according to CBSBoston. An autopsy of the dog is expected to take place Wednesday to confirm the cause of death. Inspectional Services said they quickly responded to a call about the dog in the car around 3 p.m. Investigators have not released the dog owner's name or whether he is also the owner of the vehicle.

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Emaciated Kitten Found Outside by Dumpster to Undergo Reconstructive Surgery to ‘Save Face’

Whether caused by infection or trauma or by electrocution, a tiny six-week-old kitten is missing nearly half his face and will soon have reconstructive surgery at the MSPCA’s Angell Animal Medical Center before a new home can be found, the Jamaica Plain animal rescue said. The young kitten, who shelter staff named “Nigel,” was found wandering beside a dumpster in Dorchester by a good Samaritan, who rushed him to the MSPCA on July 7. At the time, the adoption center team thought Nigel might have been struggling with an upper respiratory infection. “His nose and much of his face seemed discolored but that appeared to be a standard infection for which we started him on pain medicine and antibiotics,” said adoption center manager Alyssa Krieger of the adorable ball of orange who now has his own Instagram page (@NoNoseNigel). “We were shocked to discover later just how seriously injured Nigel was.”
Missing Half His Face
After just one week Nigel’s face, including the skin on and under his nose had simply fallen off.

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MSPCA’s July 4th Pet Safety Recommendations

Fireworks, dangerous foods and heat top the list of concerns for Jamaica Plain pet owners. As JP gears up to celebrate the Fourth of July Holiday the MSPCA-Angell is imploring pet owners to heed basic safety precautions to keep pets safe and healthy during the long weekend. Fireworks: Not Fun for Fido
Dr. Terri Bright of the MSPCA’s Behavior Services Department cautions that fireworks can be especially terrifying for some dogs. “We must keep in mind that the sense of hearing in dogs is far superior to ours—so they hear and feel these sounds with much greater intensity,” she said. Dr. Bright’s top tips for helping dogs weather the fireworks storm include:
• Keep dogs in a small interior room of the house with a noise machine and shades drawn so as to block out both explosive sounds and the bright lights of fireworks
• Offer an engaging and tasty treat such as a peanut butter- or meat-filled Kong to keep dogs occupied and comforted
• Play their favorite games, and have special toys for them to engage with
• Keep outside time to a minimum while fireworks displays are going on—even if that means moving up the post-dinner walk to earlier in the afternoon and ensuring bathroom breaks happen before the displays
• Never leave dogs outside unaccompanied as a general rule—and certainly not during fireworks displays, which can elicit unpredictable behavior (such as fleeing) that dogs may otherwise not exhibit
• As a last resort you may want to see your veterinarian to determine if a mild tranquilizer may help your dog get through the displays

“As with all things a little common sense goes a long way and by following these tips dog owners are much more likely to see their pets comfortably through the most intense displays,” said Dr. Bright. Top Summer Holiday Health Concerns
The MSPCA’s Angell Animal Medical Center is keen to help pet owners avoid a trip to the animal ER ahead of the July 4th Holiday weekend.

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Two Dogs Struck by Cars on Separate Days Struggle to Recover from Life-Threatening Injuries

An adorable but frightened stray Chihuahua struck by a car and found on the side of a Mattapan street on June 5 had just undergone life-saving surgery at the MSPCA’s Angell Animal Medical Center in Jamaica Plain when days later, on June 9, a Shih Tzu mix was surrendered after she was struck and critically injured by a car in Jamaica Plain, the organization announced June 16. The Chihuahua, now named Nutmeg, is about a year-old and wore no identification tags, nor was she microchipped, making it impossible to identify an owner. A good Samaritan rushed her to the MSPCA after finding her on the side of a busy street, her shattered pelvis and leg fractures making it impossible for her to walk or even stand. “Nutmeg could not move her hind legs and was clearly in shock by the time she reached us,” said the MSPCA’s Jamaica Plain adoption center manager Alyssa Krieger who tended to Nutmeg upon arrival. “There was no time to waste: once x-rays confirmed that her hind legs and hips were broken in multiple areas we arranged for surgery.”

Nutmeg’s surgery, which included installation of plates and screws to stabilize her pelvis, took three hours to complete.

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MSPCA in ‘Now or Never’ Bid to Save Cat’s Leg (And Her Life)

If it’s true that cats have nine lives young “Oreo” has barely another to spare after a run-in with a car left her critically injured and in the care of the emergency veterinary staff at the MSPCA’s Angell Animal Medical Center in Jamaica Plain, where she is undergoing revolutionary treatment to save her life. Oreo arrived at Angell after she was hit by a car on a busy street in Lawrence, Mass. on May 20 and taken to Bulger Veterinary Hospital in North Andover. Her injuries were catastrophic: the accident left her with a mangled front left leg and with most of the skin torn away from her right hind leg, which was also fractured in multiple places. Oreo’s overwhelmed owners opted to surrender her, and the newly homeless kitty was then sent to the MSPCA-Nevins Farm, which took responsibility for her care.

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Adopter Wanted: Loveable Special Needs Cat Seeks New Home

A loveable handicapped cat is bunking down at the MSPCA-Angell in Boston and staffers are hoping to identify one special adopter to bring him home, the organization announced today. Ten-month-old “Ivan” was born without radial bones in his front legs and is also missing two toes on each front paw. His left hind leg is also deformed, making it impossible for him to walk normally. Despite living in the adoption center for two weeks after his previous owner surrendered him, no one has shown interest in the green-eyed charmer. MSPCA-Angell adoption center manager Alyssa Krieger believes Ivan is just as deserving as any other cat, however.

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MSPCA, PETA and Others in Lawsuit Against USDA for Removal of Documents from Website

The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is one of six plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture for allegedly violating the federal Freedom of Information Act this month when it removed animal welfare inspection reports and more from the USDA's federal website -- and they want the info back on the website. Along with the MSPCA, the other plaintiffs in the lawsuit are the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA); Delcianna Winders, who is the Academic Fellow of the Harvard Animal Law & Policy Program; the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in Washington, D.C.; Born Free USA based in Washington, D.C.; and the Beagle Freedom Project from California. On Feb. 3, the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) removed thousands of reports that document and provide significant information vital to animal welfare organizations. Information in the documents include the number of animals kept by research labs, companies, zoos, circuses and animal transporters.

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MSPCA-Angell Rescues Nearly 80 Cats from Fall River Home, Now Need New Homes

Fifty-four cats are safe after they were removed from a hoarding house in Fall River on Tuesday and transported to the MSPCA-Angell’s animal care and adoption centers in Centerville, Mass., the organization announced on Wednesday. The cats were voluntarily surrendered by their previous owner, who reached out to MSPCA Law Enforcement officer Chelsea Weiand last week after the number of cats in his home ballooned to nearly 80 and he could no longer care for them. A total of 78 cats were removed, with the Fall River Animal Control facility taking in 24. “This was a case in which someone was overwhelmed and did the right thing by asking for help,” said Weiand. No charges have been filed against the previous owner, whose identity has not been released.

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Stray Shih Tzu Found on Stoop the Day after Christmas Needs Surgery for Broken Heart

A matted, dirty and scared Shih Tzu found shivering on a Dorchester doorstep the day after Christmas is resting at the MSPCA-Angell in Boston—but is still not out of the woods because veterinarians discovered a heart condition that could dramatically shorten her life if left untreated. “Petie,” as she has come to be called by staffers at the MSPCA’s Jamaica Plain adoption center, was rescued by the Boston Animal Control department after a city resident reported the one-year-old dog resting on their front steps. The dog wore no collar or identification tags (and is not microchipped), rendering any search for an owner fruitless. The resident on whose porch Petie sought refuge rushed the frightened canine to Boston’s animal care and control shelter in Roslindale, where her severely matted fur was shaved. An evaluation revealed potential heart problems and Petie was taken to the MSPCA’s Angell Animal Medical Center on Dec.

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