SC 'Debby' Rescue Dogs Arrive In MA For 'Brat Summer' Adoption Event

SALEM, MA — The Massachusetts Society for the Protection of Animals, Northeast Animal Shelter of Salem and a coalition of shelters in Boston, Worcester and across the state are looking to rehome at least 200 dogs during a fee-free adoption event next week.

The event comes after the shelter network accepted a transport of 24 shelter dogs from flood-stricken South Carolina during Tropical Storm Debby on Aug. 7, and expects another two dog transports from the area to arrive this week.

"These plans have been in the works for a while now, but were thrown off by Tropical Storm Debby," said Mike Keiley, MSPCA-Angell vice president of animal protection.

To help clear limited shelter space for new and future arrivals, the shelters are offering fee-free adoptions — which they are calling 'MSPCA Brat Summer' — for all dogs 1 year old and older from Aug. 19 through Aug. 25.

"Our own population of dogs is increasing, and we know that our coalition partners also have plenty of great dogs in their care that need a little boost," Kieley said. "That's why we're starting with a special dog adoption event, even while our other coalition work gets underway, like behavior outreach and increasing veterinary resources in the Springfield area."

The fee-free adoptions are available at the Northeast Animal Shelter of Salem, MSPCA-Angell shelters in Boston, Methuen and Centerville on Cape Cod, as well as affiliated shelters in Boston, Worcester, Springfield and the Berkshires.

A cat adoption promotion will follow the dog adoption event from Aug. 26 to Aug. 30 and a small animal event at a date soon to be determined.

"A major goal of the coalition is to increase adoptions, thereby reducing euthanasia and opening up kennel space for dogs that need to be surrendered in the community," Keiley said. "We know that adoptions have slowed down for a variety of factors, some of which we can't control.

"But some, like the barrier of adoption fees, we can, so we're going to waive those and hopefully encourage some people that previously hadn't considered getting a dog right now to come to the shelters and talk to us about adopting."

Information on available dogs will be posted here.

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