Hop On Over To Northeast Animal Shelter For Weekend Adoption Push

SALEM, MA — A furry little new friend can be yours without paying an adoption fee at the Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem this weekend.

The Salem shelter is looking to find forever homes for most of its smallest pets this weekend after the MSPCA saw a 66 percent increase in rabbit and guinea pig surrenders over the past year. To help spur the push to find these tiny fellas their forever homes, Northeast is waiving the adoption fee on Friday and Saturday for rabbits, guinea pigs, mice, gerbils, hamsters and all birds.

While dog and cat adoptions saw a generational boom during the pandemic when most folks worked from or stayed home, many smaller pets were not so fortunate. The good news with picking up one of these perfectly fine pint-sized pals as they can more easily be left alone if soon returning to the office after a year or more.

For those still working at home, these guys tend to also be quieter and less attention-craved than a rambunctious puppy or kitty.

"Many people we talk to don't realize we work to find homes for more than just dogs and cats," said Mark Keiley, interim director of Northeast Animal Shelter. "Rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters and birds make wonderful pets — and we hope families looking to adopt will take advantage
of this fee-waived pet adoption weekend."

Keiley stressed that while many of these animals are less time-consuming than a typical terrier, they do still require careful feeding, cage cleaning and time spent with their families for exercise and play.

Those looking to book an adoption appointment can do so here.

On Friday and Saturday, those adopting a small animal can save $85 on a rabbit, $35 on a guinea pig, $10 for hamsters, mice and gerbils, as well as bird adoption fees that range from $10 for a finch to $150 for parrots.

Keiley said those interested in fostering small animals until their forever home can be found are also encouraged to contact the shelter.

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)