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p. 1Saving Homeless Pets Across America

Review of

Activities 2015

Saving Homeless Pets Across America


Since our founding in 1976, Northeast Animal Shelter has saved almost 125,000 homeless pets. We are committed to our no-kill policy, to saving the lives of more adoptable homeless pets each year, and to expanding our outreach programs.

2015 was an exceptionally busy, rewarding year at NEAS. With the help of our donors, adopters, volunteers, staff, and friends, NEAS saved 4,406 homeless dogs, puppies, cats, and kittens by placing them in loving, forever homes.

There is one thing all of the pets who come through our doors have in common: they are all homeless. Some of our pets are surrendered by local residents who can no longer care for them. Some come from local animal control officers and rescue groups. Some come from over-crowded, high-kill animal shelters across the country. Some are rescued just days before scheduled euthanasia. Others desperately need medical care, life-saving surgery, or are deemed too old for adoption. Regardless of the reason, each of them needs a loving, permanent home — and that’s what NEAS does. We are committed to finding forever homes for all of our pets.

2015 Quick Recap: Saved 4,406

homeless pets


NEAS’ Saving Homeless Pets Across America program is a unique initiative that we started in 1994. Because spaying and neutering have become routine in the Northeast, it is unusual to find abandoned pets and unwanted litters. However, serious pet overpopulation continues to exist in other parts of the country, where spaying and neutering are not common practices and unwanted litters abound. Every day, thousands of unwanted pets are abandoned in overcrowded shelters across the United States. Our Saving Homeless Pets Across America program brings adoptable pets from across the country to our adoption center in Salem, MA where they are matched with loving families.

In 2015, this program brought more than 3,000 homeless dogs, puppies, cats, and kittens to our Shelter from Alabama, California, Georgia, Indiana, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

NEAS works with a dedicated network of out-of-state rescue organizations that must comply with NEAS’ transport and medical requirements. NEAS usually pays for transportation and reimburses the sending organizations for vaccinations and spay/neuter surgeries. NEAS spent more than $100,000 to transport out-of-state pets to our Shelter in 2015.

As required by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, all animals received from other states are isolated upon arrival for 48 hours in one of our state-approved isolation rooms. During their isolation period, the pets are cared for, monitored, and examined by a veterinarian prior to being available for adoption.

2015 Quick Recap: Brought 3,000+ homeless pets to our shelter from across

the country


Adoption ProgramsOur adoption counselors are dedicated to placing each pet in a permanent, loving home by matching the needs of the individual pet with the lifestyle of the adopter. Some of our pets require very special forever homes, and our staff work diligently to find that perfect match.

In 2015, NEAS saved 908 cats, 811 kittens, 1,202 dogs, and 1,485 puppies.

2015 Quick Recap: Placed 908

cats, 811 kittens, 1,202 dogs, and

1,485 puppies in loving homes


Success Story: HopeHope was found abandoned on a road in Georgia. Her ears had been brutally cut off... The woman who rescued her thought it was possible that this partially blind puppy was thrown away because of her sight

impairment. Fortunately, Hope’s life has completely turned around. She was adopted soon after arriving at the Shelter — and now she finally knows what it means to be loved for who she is.

p. 6Saving Homeless Pets Across America Adoption Programs

NEAS’ Senior Placement Programs allow senior citizens to adopt senior pets at a reduced adoption fee. Our mature pets are wonderful companions, and they give their senior adopters so much joy, affection, and unconditional love in return for warm laps and loving homes.

NEAS’ Veterans’ Adoption Program allows veterans and anyone actively serving in the U.S. military to adopt a pet for a 30% discounted adoption fee.


Animal Care ProgramsAs well as being one of New England’s largest no-kill shelters, NEAS is committed to providing comprehensive medical care for our cats and dogs so they can be available for adoption as soon as possible.

Although the cost of our Medical Intervention Program continues to increase, we willingly spend thousands of dollars for life-saving medical care so an animal can be rehabilitated and adopted by a loving family. During 2015, NEAS’ costs for medical supplies, vaccines, spay/neuter, vet fees, admit exams, and reimbursements to sending organizations exceeded $625,000.


Success Story: ChanceThis 8-year-old, 51-pound Shepherd mix came to us suffering from gastric dilatation/volvulus (bloat) — and needed emergency surgery right away. As an outdoor dog, he also needed patient adopters who would

teach him good indoor manners. Luckily, our adoption counselors found Chance his perfect forever home — where he is living a very happy life!


Some of our pets arrive with contagious illnesses or parasites and require weeks, or even months, of treatment before they can be adopted. Because state law does not allow shelter pets to be placed in foster care or in a permanent home while being treated for contagious illnesses or parasites, many pets must stay at the Shelter for an extended period. Unfortunately, this means we have less space to accept other pets, and sometimes we must turn away pets for lack of space. To overcome this problem, NEAS has started constructing a 5,000 square-foot addition that will include quarantine space for sick dogs and cats, an exam room, and a surgical suite.

The first phase of the construction project was to relocate and build new dog play yards because the addition is being built where the play yards were located. The new play yards were completed in December, and our dogs are already enjoying this larger area for exercise and fresh air. We are very excited about our new addition, which will be completed in the fall of 2016.

NEAS also continues to expand its Spay/Neuter Program. All adult pets are altered prior to adoption — and if a pet is younger than five months of age, or if an unaltered pet is adopted shortly after its arrival, NEAS provides the adopter with a spay/neuter certificate that is honored by our network of 30 local veterinarians, who perform the surgeries at a reduced cost. In 2015, our Spay/Neuter Program cost was $118,861, including $40,155 in reimbursements to sending organizations for spay/neuter surgeries. NEAS also provides free spaying of a mother pet when her litter is brought to us for adoption.

Animal Care Programs

2015 Quick Recap: $625,000+ in

medical-related expenses


Success Story: Emergency Cat RescueIn February, we rescued 21 cats and kittens from a local hoarding situation. Most of the adult cats had severe dental disease, one was FIV-positive, one had renal disease, and six were pregnant. These poor cats needed everything from vaccines to spay/neuter

surgeries — as well as special adopters who would be patient with animals who had never experienced human love before. All of these cats have been placed in loving forever homes.

p. 11Saving Homeless Pets Across America Animal Care Programs

The NEAS Canine Training Program helps dogs who arrive at NEAS lacking social skills. Some of these dogs do very well with our in-house training program, but others need professional behavior training before they can be adopted. NEAS is committed to enrolling these special dogs in an off-site training program. Some dogs learn fast and are in the program for only two weeks; other dogs may require four weeks at training camp to earn their Canine Good Citizenship certification. The cost is $500 per week.

Our Foster Care Program has more than 100 dedicated foster care providers, who volunteer to open their homes to care for pregnant and nursing cats and dogs, newborn kittens and puppies, and special needs or sick cats and dogs until they are ready for adoption. Our Foster Care Coordinators provide our volunteers with guidance and instruct them on techniques to create the best possible outcome for our pets needing specialized care.

After surgery, our cats and dogs are cared for in foster homes until they have recuperated and are ready for adoption. Expectant mothers are cared for during their pregnancies, deliveries, and until they are ready for their spay surgeries and available for adoption. In addition, motherless kittens, who require around-the-clock care and bottle-feeding, are cared for in NEAS’ Foster Care homes.

Some of our pets require Foster Care to socialize them and help them trust humans. Our staff and Foster Care volunteers take our special dogs, who lack socialization, on field trips — like a run in the park or a walk on the beach.

Many rescued pets are also afraid of people, and some have never been in a home environment, walked on a slippery tile or hardwood floor, or been on a leash. Our Foster Care volunteers work with these pets to ease their fears and get them ready to become members of loving families.

In 2015, our Foster Care Program cared

for almost 400 pets. More than 100 kittens

were born in NEAS Foster Care homes.

2015 Quick Recap: $500 per

week to send dogs for training


Success Story: GabeGabe is a beautiful lab mix who arrived at NEAS in July of 2015. He was a very active, excitable teenage dog who became over-stimulated very quickly. We placed him in foster care and basic training sessions right

away, but he was still not ready to be adopted — so we sent him to our off-site trainer. Finally, after five weeks, Gabe was ready for a family of his own!


Community ProgramsOur Senior Visits Program brings dogs to area nursing homes, senior centers, and assisted-living facilities. Visiting pets bring comfort and companionship to seniors, and this event is often the highlight of a senior’s day. Some senior groups plan a monthly outing at NEAS, enjoying a tour of our Shelter and meeting our furry guests waiting for adoption.

NEAS’ Boo Rich Humane Education Program, named for Christopher Cutler Rich, educates children about responsible pet care and the humane treatment of animals. In 2015 we hosted or visited dozens of youth groups and schools, including Brownies, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, and Boy Scouts. NEAS is committed to community outreach, and our staff and volunteers often speak at events or conduct humane education classes at the Shelter, as well as offsite. We know that reaching the youth community with our important messages about responsible pet care, and controlling pet overpopulation by spaying and neutering pets, is how we will change the future.

NEAS’ volunteers regularly staff information tables at Petco, PetSmart, and Unleashed stores, as well as local farmers’ markets — educating the public on the importance of adopting shelter pets.

In an effort to promote our Humane Education Program and foster future volunteerism, we host children’s Birthday Parties at the Shelter, with a suggested donation. Our staff provides a fun and educational tour of our facility and a visit with a few furry Shelter guests. These special events were very successful in 2015, with 24 children celebrating memorable birthdays with their friends and our animals. Most of the children asked their guests to bring gifts for our pets instead of themselves.

2015 Quick Recap: 350+ active

volunteers supporting the shelter


Support ProgramsNEAS is grateful to our hundreds of volunteers — whose participation and enthusiasm we heavily depend on. Our Volunteer Program currently has 370 active individual volunteers, including more than 200 kennel volunteers, 19 volunteer receptionists, 21 volunteer greeters, 5 senior visit volunteers, 3 volunteer trainers, special event volunteers, graphic artists, photographers, groomers, trainers, and drivers. We also encourage student volunteers, who earn community service credits toward school and religious projects.

NEAS’ volunteer receptionists and greeters assist visitors, as well as help with office work, database updates, and filing. Our laundry volunteers keep our pets’ blankets and towels clean and ready for use.

Some of our pets arrive dirty and matted. Three professional pet groomers volunteer to groom our pets, preparing them for adoption. When the grooming is complete, our pets always look fabulous! The volunteer groomers are also always available for emergency situations.

Three volunteer dog trainers routinely visit the Shelter to work with dogs who need help overcoming behavior issues.

A special group of volunteers routinely bring our dogs, wearing “adopt me” vests, to local parks, beaches, events, camps, and schools. This not only educates people about pet adoption, but often introduces a dog to his or her new adopter.

p. 15Saving Homeless Pets Across America Support Programs

In addition to our individual volunteers, we also work with several specially abled volunteer groups who make sure all our animals have enough water, clean up empty food bowls, tidy cat cages, and socialize cats and kittens. In addition, some groups will sort newspapers, set up cages for incoming cats, and help with laundry.

Our volunteers range in age from 16 to 85 years old. On an average day, our kennel staff is assisted by 35-40 volunteers. Their shifts start at 7:00 am and conclude at about 9:30 pm (after all the dogs have been walked).

Our programs also require paid staffing. NEAS currently has 15 full-time employees and 45 part-time employees. We are open to the public seven days a week, and we only close for major holidays and snow storms.


Public DonationsNEAS receives no local, state, or government funding — and we depend on the continued generosity of pet-loving friends to support our mission.

We are very grateful to our Gold Collar Society donors, whose annual gifts total $500-$999 and our Platinum Collar Society donors, whose annual gifts total $1,000 or more.

NEAS’ Forever Friends Legacy Society is very important to us. We are thankful to friends of NEAS who have pledged their continued support of NEAS through their estate plans. Our Forever Friends Legacy Society now has more than 300 members.

NEAS also greatly appreciates our Monthly Pledge of Love donors, who commit to a monthly gift that provides dependable income to care for our pets.

And, finally, NEAS is tremendously grateful to our businesses, organizations, and volunteer donors who have partnered with NEAS to save more homeless pets each year. We are honored to be the beneficiary of fundraising events and donations from other organizations.

Thank you!


Stay in Touch

Northeast Animal Shelter

347 Highland AvenueSalem, MA 01970(978) 745-9888

Saving Homeless Pets

facebook.com/northeastanimalshelter

twitter.com/NEAnimalShelter

youtube.com/user/LOVEAPET

saving homeless pets across america review of … · saving homeless pets across america p. 1...

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