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60 Boxers were removed and surrendered from a home in Merrimac, Massachusetts due to an animal hoarding situation on Tuesday, June 11.
The Merrimac Police Department, through WHDH, reports that authorities were called to remove the dogs after the homeowner voluntarily surrendered them.
The removal was part of a multi-jurisdictional investigation into reports of animal hoarding and overcrowding.
All dogs that were surrendered are currently placed in the care of the Massachusetts Society For The Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals (MSPCA).
MSPCA-Angell vice president of animal protection, Mike Keiley, said, “It was unsanitary conditions, as you can imagine, with that number of dogs in one space.”
MSPCA called the surrender of the dogs as “the largest local surrender of dogs we’ve seen in recent history”.
Keiley revealed that the dogs’ medical condition varied from fairly stable to thin, with some having some type of medical condition. And that their age ranges from 8-day-old newborn puppies to seniors.
By taking all 60 dogs, Keiley stated that MSPCA has maxed out three of their shelters in Massachusetts.
“We know what the stakes are right now if our operations were to be impacted by this case, so we are moving fast with some of these younger and more resilient dogs into homes,” Keiley said.
On Thursday, June 13, MSPCA announced that the first round of Boxes, consisting of seven dogs, became available for adoption on the next day.
The first seven Boxers included five puppies, a one-year-old female, and a four-year-old male.
“Please come with all your patience and understanding,” MSPCA wrote. “We are looking for really special families for these dogs, as their life up to this point has been anything but normal and they’re going to need experienced, dedicated people to help them catch up on all the experiences that they have missed.”
While some dogs are now ready for adoption, some are still needing medical attention, meaning the MSPCA will also need donations to ensure the dogs will get all the medical attention they need.
For interested adopters, you can check all available dogs on mspca.org/adoptadog. And for those who wish to donate to support MSPCA while they provide the medical needs of all 60 dogs, you can send your donations on: www.mspca.org/boxers.
As for the owner of the Boxers, WWLP reports that there have been no charges filed at this time since the investigation is still ongoing.
