The MSPCA and the Northeast Animal Shelter (NEAS) in Salem have teamed up to foster a group of nine purebred Bichon Frize dogs from Texas, the largest intake of the breed in the groups’ history of collaboration.
The occurrence is a rarity for the MSPCA and NEAS, which tend not to take in special breed pets, according to the MSPCA-Angell in a news release on Thursday. That’s particularly true of Bichon Frizees, small hypoallergenic dogs with white fur, according to the statement.
The MSPCA-Angell added that this is the first time it has transported the breed since it partnered with NEAS in January 2021. The Bichon Frisés are also accompanied by a young American Pit Bull Terrier from the same location.
The dogs range in age from 5 months to 8 years and were en route to the New Bedford Regional Airport Thursday morning, MSPCA-Angell said. They will be taken to NEAS and the MSPCA Cape Cod Adoption Center in Centerville to comply with a state-mandated 48-hour quarantine upon arrival Thursday afternoon, she added.
After the dogs go through their quarantines and receive the necessary medical treatment, the MSPCA and NEAS will make them available for adoption.
Those interested in adopting one of the dogs are encouraged to keep up with the MSPCA’s social media for updates on their availability.
The cost of caring for the dogs is expected to reach $5,000, and MSPCA-Angell said those interested in helping offset the costs of their care can donate at a Web page Dedicated to the Bichon Frize.
You can also watch a video of the Bichon Frize below or by by clicking here to watch on YouTube on the MSPCA-Angell channel.
All of the dogs were seized as part of an animal cruelty investigation in Montgomery County, Texas, the MSPCA-Angell added.
“In all, more than 100 dogs and cats have been removed from a breeder in Montgomery County,” Mike Keiley, director of adoption centers and programs for the MSPCA-Angell, as well as executive director of NEAS, said in a statement.
Keiley said the animals were living in “unsanitary conditions” that were “not receiving proper care.”
The MSPCA and NEAS stepped in to help give the dogs the “loving homes they deserve” as well as reduce tension at shelters in Texas, where Montgomery County Animal Services was reaching capacity even earlier. for this big animal to give up, according to Keiley.
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“Our goal is always to help shelters through rehoming whenever they are overwhelmed with the number of animals they receive from cruelty cases,” he said.
Keiley added that it has been a “multi-week effort” to relocate the shelter’s animals to Texas, having transported 20 dogs from there prior to the surrender to help clear shelter space for incoming animals.
“Now, Montgomery is in a much better place and we will be able to match these dogs with eager potential adopters here,” Keiley said.
The MSPCA-Angell said breeders are typically used to supply pet stores with animals, and this case is an example of that practice. The group advocated for a bill pending in the Massachusetts state legislature that would ban the sale of animals such as cats and dogs in these types of stores.
“Dogs in commercial kennels are often raised in appalling conditions,” Kara Holmquist, MSPCA director of advocacy, said in a statement. “Dogs are crammed into small spaces, they are not socialized. They are inbred and overbred, which can lead to genetic and health disorders. The cubs are separated from their mothers too young, so they have behavioral problems.”
“If pet stores are no longer allowed to sell dogs and cats, the less they will suffer in these types of facilities,” he added.