A Dozen SC Rescue Hounds Arrive In Salem For Fee-Free Adoptions

SALEM, MA — A dozen beagle/hound mixes rescued from a South Carolina animal cruelty case involving more than 50 dogs living on a single property are among those eligible for fee-free adoptions during this week's "Missed Connections" campaign at the Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem.

The hounds, ages 1 through 10, arrived in Salem on Tuesday and will be eligible for adoption following their 48-hour quarantine and any needed medical care. They have spent the chilly week adjusting to the cold and snow of New England but are otherwise in good shape, the MSPCA said.

"That's a huge number of dogs entering shelters in the Midlands region of South Carolina that are already at or over capacity," said Mike Keiley, MSPCA-Angell Vice President of Animal Protection. "It's far too many dogs for them to care for, so when our transport partners in the area reached out for help, we knew we needed to step up and make it happen, despite our own capacity challenges."

The pups arrived in time for the weeklong adoption event, including the Northeast Animal Shelter of Salem, MSPCA shelters in Boston, Cape Cod and Methuen, and affiliated shelters across Massachusetts, offering fee-free adoptions for dogs 1 year old or older

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The goal of the adoption push is to find forever homes for 100 or more dogs to help open space in Massachusetts shelters for more local surrenders and national rescues.

"Considering their circumstances, these dogs are in relatively good health," said Keiley. "They need to be spayed or neutered, and some also need dental work, but we're hoping that at least a few will be available before the end of the adoptathon.”

The MSPCA-Angell will post updates on the South Carolina dogs on its social media pages. More information on the adoptathon may be found here.

(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.)