27 Puppy Mill Rescues To Arrive In Salem From Missouri To Find Forever Homes

SALEM, MA — Puppy mill rescues from across the country are set to arrive in Salem in search of loving and caring forever homes on Saturday as part of a Missouri transport involving the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and National Mill Dog Rescue.

The MSPCA said two staff members traveled to Missouri this week to assist in the transport that was expected to arrive at Hanscom Field in Bedford on Saturday before the 27 pups are moved to the Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem for a 48-hour quarantine and adoption.

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The dogs range in age from roughly four months to seven years old and include Dachshunds, Beagles, Husky mixes.

"These dogs will be from different places, and we don’t know anything about the conditions that they were found in," said Jamie Garabedian, project manager in the MSPCA-Angell's Animal Protection Division. "All we know is that once they're in our care, we're planning to shower them with TLC and help their true personalities come out."

Proposed bills in the Massachusetts State Legislature seek to end the so-called 'puppy-mill-to-pet-shop' pipeline by preventing pet stores from selling dogs, cats, and rabbits unless they partner with a shelter or rescue organization.

"Inhumane commercial breeding facilities breed females as early and as frequently as possible," said MSPCA-Angell Advocacy Director Kara Holmquist. "Puppies in those places are also predisposed to a range of problematic behavioral issues, in part because they're often taken from their mothers too young.

"Those are the places that supply pet shops with animals for their stores, so stopping stores from selling them would prevent animals from suffering."

The 27 mill dogs will receive any necessary care before they will be ready to find new homes.

"We won't know exactly when the dogs will be up for adoption until they're in our care, and we have time to assess their condition," Garabedian said. "Each dog is unique, so they might have different behavioral and medical needs, meaning they'll be available at different times.

"But whatever those needs are, they'll get the best possible care with us before we find them the best possible homes."

Interested adopters are asked to monitor the MSPCA-Angell's available animal page here and check its social media pages for updates.

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