Nearly 100 MA Cats Surrendered; Urgent Need For Kitty Adopters Across Bay State Shelters

SALEM, MA — Two large cat surrenders in Worcester County and in the Berkshires created an urgent need for adopters to step forward and offer the pretty kitties their forever home.

MSPCA-Angell is asking people to adopt, foster, donate or volunteer after the surrenders sent dozens of animals to its shelters and partner agencies across Massachusetts.

The first group involved 35 cats surrendered from a Worcester County home on Sept. 3. Worcester Animal Rescue League, a coalition partner, also took in 10 cats.

On Sept. 18, the MSPCA Northeast Animal Shelter of Salem took in 28 cats surrendered from a home in Berkshire County, while Berkshire Humane Society also accepted 25 cats from that property.

"Bringing in that many [cats] at once is always challenging, but especially so at a time when we already had a lot in our care," said MSPCA-Angell Vice President of Animal Protection Mike Keiley. "Before we were able to rehome many of them, we got another call for help, and we're always going to do everything in our power to answer."

Keiley said the two surrenders show why the MASS coalition matters when a large number of animals need placement at once.

"This surrender — like the one in Worcester County — really exemplifies one of the reasons that the (MASS) coalition is so important," Keiley said. "If a single organization was trying to take in this many animals, it would be overwhelming, but with the coalition we’re able to split them up — ensuring they get the care and attention they deserve."

MSPCA-Angell said its Law Enforcement team helped make both surrenders possible by working with pet owners to find a path forward.

"There's a misguided belief that our officers spend the majority of their time seizing animals and pursuing punitive actions," Keiley said. "But many of the complaints they look into are actually based on a lack of resources."

"So, they're more often working in the community to get affordable resources to well-meaning pet owners who are trying to get their animals what they need to stay happy and healthy but face barriers accessing what’s required to do that."

The Berkshire County cats are expected to be available for adoption this week, and MSPCA-Angell said many other cats already need homes.

"I would estimate we have roughly 300 cats and kittens across all four of our shelters who are ready to go to a new home today, so if you’ve been thinking about adopting, please come see us," Keiley said. "Even if you're not ready to adopt, please consider fostering, donating, or volunteering."

People can see cats now available for adoption here.