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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Free Rabbits at the MSPCA in Jamaica Plain!

September is the perfect time to “free” a bunny from the MSPCA as the standard rabbit adoption fee will be waived until Sept. 25 as part of the organization’s annual “We Got Buns, Hun!” adoptathon. The MSPCA has dozens of rabbits, large and small, young and not-so-young, currently bunking down at its shelters in Boston, Methuen and Centerville on Cape Cod. All rabbits adopted from the MSPCA are spayed or neutered to ensure they cannot contribute to the pet over-population crisis, and they receive thorough behavior and health checks. Adopters who take home rabbits from the MSPCA’s Jamaica Plain adoption center will save $75 until Sept.

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MSPCA-Angell Takes in Chihuahua Found Abandoned in Woods; Pooch Needs Surgery and a Loving Home

A frightened but friendly Chihuahua is lucky to be alive after a good Samaritan found her cowering beneath a blanket in the dense woods near Spring Pond in Peabody, Mass. and rushed her to the MSPCA-Angell in Jamaica Plain. That good Samaritan, Tom Osborne of Lynn, stumbled across the dog on March 13 while out for an afternoon walk. “She was wrapped in the blanket and just so scared,” said Osborne. “I couldn’t get close to her at first so I sat down on the ground and waited for her to relax.

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Cat Swallows a Mountain of Hair Ties, Undergoes Emergency Surgery

A seven-year-old Siamese cat named “Kitty” cashed several of his nine lives in after consuming 14 elastic hair ties, requiring emergency surgery at the MSPCA-Angell earlier this week, the organization announced today. Kitty was admitted on Sunday, March 6 after his previous owner found the hair ties missing—and the feisty feline already showing signs of distress. Kitty’s owner had been trying to re-home the cat for quite some time and, upon confirmation that he had indeed swallowed the assembly of ties, opted to surrender him to the MSPCA. Surgery at Angell Animal Medical Center
Dr. Emma-Leigh Pearson of Angell’s Emergency & Critical Care unit performed a delicate two-hour operation on March 7 to extract the hair bands from Kitty’s stomach—as well as several that had lodged in his intestines. According to Dr. Pearson, there was not a moment to lose.

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O’Malley Proposes Ban on Sales of Dogs, Cats and Rabbits in Boston Pet Stores

On Monday Jamaica Plain's City Councilor Matt O’Malley will announce a city ordinance dubbed “the puppy mill bill” that would prohibit pet shops in Boston from selling dogs, cats or rabbits, as well as banning animal sales in public parks and on city streets. O’Malley will make the announcement at the MSPCA-Angell in Jamaica Plain. “I am proud to introduce this ordinance that will not only protect animals, but seeks to prevent financial and emotional costs to the city and its residents, and demonstrate that it is important for Boston foster a more humane environment in the city,” said O'Malley through a press release. If the ordinance becomes Boston law, the city would join more than 120 municipalities across the country that banned the sale of commercially bred cats and dogs from pet shops. Oftentimes these puppies and kittens come from large-scale breeding facilities, many of which have multiple violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act. Puppy and kitten mill animals often have severe problems due to not receiving proper veterinary care and often aren't given sufficient food, water or shelter.

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Angell Animal Medical Center’s Top Thanksgiving Safety Tips for Pet Owners

As Jamaica Plain prepares to celebrate Thanksgiving, veterinarians at the MSPCA’s Angell Animal Medical Center are urging pet owners to keep their animals safe by following simple pet-safety recommendations throughout the Holiday season. Thanksgiving, and the Holidays that follow, come with a host of pet hazards—mostly in the form of ingested substances that can be harmful or fatal to our pets. Angell veterinarians are especially concerned about the following ingredients, which are plentiful this time of year:

• Chocolate - even 1/4 ounce ingested can spike heart rate and anxiety in a 10-pound dog
• Yeast dough – raw yeast dough can rise in the stomach and cause severe discomfort; many yeast ingestions require surgical intervention, and even small amounts can be dangerous
• Garlic, onions and chives – large amounts of these products can significantly damage red blood cells, causing anemia and possible kidney failure
• Fatty or spicy table food - bones can splinter and cause damage or blockage in the gastrointestinal tract; spicy or fatty foods can lead to inflammation of the pancreas; moldy or spoiled foods can lead to food poisoning, tremors or seizures
• Grapes and raisons – ingestion of these foods has been associated with kidney failure in dogs
• Macadamia nuts – in dogs, ingestion can produce vomiting, weakness, depression, lack of coordination and tremors
• Raw meat – Angell sees at least half a dozen severe bacterial infections every month, mostly as a result of dogs being fed raw meat; Angell veterinarians recommend consulting with a veterinary dietician when opting to feed a raw diet, or choosing from the many high-quality commercial pet foods available on the market

Angell veterinarians also recommend owners keep their pets away from lethal non-food substances so prevalent at this time of year, namely antifreeze and ice melt—as both can be lethal if consumed by cats or dogs. “The only sure-fire way to keep pets safe during the Holiday season is to steer clear of toxic foods,” said Dr. Kiko Bracker, a veterinarian in Angell’s Emergency and Critical Care Unit. “Our hope is that people and their pets have an enjoyable and safe Thanksgiving Holiday.”

For additional Holiday safety tips prepared by the veterinary team at Angell please click www.angell.org/HolidayHazards.

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MSPCA Waives Adoption Fees for Adult Cats this Weekend

Feline love don’t cost a thing this weekend! The MSPCA-Angell in Jamaica Plain will waive the standard $150 adoption fee for cats aged one year and up as part of its annual “Fall in Love” cat adoptathon. The organization's two other animal care and adoption centers in Methuen and Centerville are also participating. The adoptathon runs Saturday, Nov. 7th through Sunday, Nov.

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