As Puerto Rico continues to reel from the devastating Hurricane Maria, New England shelters are rescuing animals from the island, including the MSPCA, which just recovered eight dogs, including five puppies.
The three adult dogs and five puppies, which are between 8 and 9 weeks old, are currently in quarantine at the MSPCA-Nevins farm in Methuen, the MSPCA said.
They arrived in the St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center in Madison, New Jersey Monday night from Puerto Rico, and were driven to Massachusetts from that location.
The dogs appear to be in good health, according to the MSPCA, but will be evaluated over the next few days to ensure any health issues are addressed before they are placed for adoption. The puppies are “playful and social,” spokesperson Rob Halpin said.
These dogs were already homeless and living in an animal shelter in Puerto Rico when the hurricane hit. They’re described as “Satos,” according to the MSPCA, which is the common name for mixed-breed dogs in Puerto Rico.
Mike Keiley, director of adoption centers and programs at MSPCA-Angell, hopes to have all eight dogs available for adoption this weekend.
“We’re doing what we have always done: ensuring we are ready and able to take in animals from areas of the world badly impacted by recent extreme weather,” he said in a statement. “We’ll do our best to ensure all of these dogs are placed in wonderful homes. Now more than ever the international animal welfare organization needs to come together to ensure we can protect the most vulnerable animals among us, and I’m so proud that we’re doing that.”
Last week, the MSPCA rescued 34 cats from similarly hurricane-ravaged St. John in the Virgin Islands. Those cats were also already homeless and living in a shelter before the storm. Fourteen of those cats have already been placed into new forever homes in Massachusetts.
