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MEDFIELD ANIMAL SHELTER NEWSLETTER
MedfieldShelter.com
e-mail: info@MedfieldShelter.com
Tel: 508-359-8989 Issue 57
Join us on: Facebook.com/MedfieldAnimalShelter & Instagram.com/MedfieldShelter Fall/Winter 2023
FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM
Please join us on Facebook and Instagram to keep up
to date on our new pets, adoptions and Happy Tails,
helping us spread the word about adoptable and lost
pets.
SHELTER UPDATE
2023 was another busy year at the Medfield Shelter.
Shelters nationwide are challenged right now with
many more pets being surrendered than adopted. We
are experiencing that with dogs, which is highly
unusual. Even the nicest dogs are spending more time
in our care before we find them homes. Under normal
circumstances, dogs only spend a week or two with us
before finding a
home. The
slowdown in dog
adoptions has led
to an increase in
the length of stay
for our dogs,
which means we
can help fewer
dogs overall. We have also seen a rise in the number of
guinea pigs and rabbits we are asked to take in.
Luckily, adoptions of cats and kittens are still going
well.
There continues to be a tremendous demand for our
low-cost monthly spay/neuter clinics for cats, which
are booked out four months in advance.
We truly appreciate the support of our community. For
example, our fabulous foster families increase our
capacity by caring for kittens, mom cats and their
litters, guinea pigs, and senior pets. We are grateful to
have so many longtime fosters
always ready to help, and we
are looking for more families
willing to open their homes to a
foster pet. Much of our food is
donated, allowing us to spend
more money on veterinary care.
We receive so many food
donations that we are often able
to share with shelters and
rescues that are not as fortunate.
We couldn't do what we do
without the efforts of our small
staff, volunteers, and generous
donors. Thank you to everyone
involved in making the Shelter
a success!
HOLIDAY MATCHING CHALLENGE
The holiday season is a time for giving, and our year-
end fundraiser is underway. We are very fortunate that,
once again, a group of longtime shelter supporters has
agreed to match every dollar donated to the Shelter
between November 15, 2023, and January 15, 2024—
up to $25,000!
We rely on the generosity of donors to support our
mission. Every dollar you donate will be used to
provide food, shelter, and medical care for the animals
until we find them loving homes. In 2022, nearly two-
thirds of our operating costs were covered by
donations, enabling us to find homes for 550 pets.
The Matching Challenge is our only fundraiser of the
year. Please donate if you can and spread the word. To
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make a tax-deductible donation online, click on the
Donate button on MedfieldShelter.com or mail your
donation to:
Medfield Animal Shelter
P.O. Box 271
Medfield, MA 02052
You can make your donation
to the Shelter in honor of an
animal-loving relative or
friend. It’s the perfect gift!
We send photo card
acknowledgments to honorees
that they’ll love to receive.
Please remember the animals
in your year-end philanthropy!
CARING FOR GIANT BREED PUPPIES
A Remarkable Foster Journey
We welcomed Glacier, a lovely Great Pyrenees, into
our care in early March. Mill Town Animal Control
found her as a skinny stray and cared for her for a
month, hoping her owner would reclaim her. Despite
being fed eight cups of food daily, she wasn't gaining
weight, prompting the request for our assistance.
To our astonishment, our vet discovered that Glacier
was pregnant with eleven puppies. When our manager
sought a foster home, volunteer Ann Humphrey
stepped up. Despite Glacier's struggles with
malnutrition, parasites,
and Lyme disease, she
was a great mom and did
her best to nurse the
puppies. Due to her poor
condition it was too
much for her, so her
foster family dedicated
themselves to round-the-
clock bottle-feeding.
While many volunteers
helped during the day,
the foster family handled
most of the work. They
provided Glacier and puppies with a spacious area in
their home and even fenced their patio to give them
outdoor time.
The journey had challenges, including several
emergency vet
visits for Glacier
and some of her
puppies. Sadly,
one puppy was
stillborn and three
more died during
the first three
weeks, likely due to Glacier's poor condition. When
Glacier became lethargic and stopped eating, the vet
recommended early weaning for the puppies.
Separating her from them allowed us to focus on
treating her Lyme disease, resulting in a much-needed
weight gain and return to health.
Glacier found the perfect home with a couple who had
owned four Great
Pyrenees. The puppies
were adopted as soon
as they were old
enough. They are all
thriving and have
inherited their mom's
sweet temperament.
We love the fact that
their new owners have stayed in touch, sharing pictures
and updates.
WISH LIST ON AMAZON.COM
We have a wish list on Amazon.com that makes it easy
to donate items we need. You can go to Amazon, click
on Wish List, search for Medfield
Animal Shelter and you will find a
list of the items we use most often.
We tried to choose items that would ship for free if
your order is over $35.
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
Ann Humphrey
Ann Humphrey has been a volunteer at the shelter for
two years. She wanted to find a way to give back to her
community after her two children went to college, and
volunteering with homeless dogs seemed the perfect
fit. Dogs have always been an important part of her life,
and she has many fond memories of her childhood
Shetland Sheepdog, Rebel, who lived to be 21 years
old. Ann and her husband, Douglas, have owned three
Golden Retrievers. Their current dog, Angus, often
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accompanies Ann when she hikes with the shelter
dogs.
This spring, Ann and her family offered to foster
Glacier, a sweet and
very large Great
Pyrenees, through the
remainder of her
pregnancy and while
she tended her puppies.
Ann met Glacier during
her volunteer shift, and
her heart was touched
by Glacier's soulful
eyes and starved condition. When Ann heard that
Glacier was pregnant, she knew that fostering her was
what she needed to do, and her family readily agreed.
They said they would be honored to be there when
Glacier gave birth and to help her with her pups.
Glacier's poor health
made raising her
puppies much more
than a full-time job,
and we could not have
found a more
compassionate person
or better home for
them. Ann has stayed
in touch with all of the
adopters and is
planning a reunion for
Glacier and her
puppies on December
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rd
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When Ann isn't volunteering at the shelter, she loves
hiking in the beautiful parks in our area. She spends her
summers in Chatham, where she enjoys walking the
beach, swimming, and boating with Angus. Ann drives
back to Medfield every week to cover her volunteer
shift.
When asked what she wishes for the animals she
meets, Ann said that she hopes they will find their
person, someone who will love them, pay attention to
them, and give them a good life. We are grateful for
her ongoing commitment to the Shelter and her
extraordinary effort this spring.
SHELTER TALES: HOW
DID THEY GET HERE?
Athena
Athena came into our care in early February after being
found in the middle of the road in Dover on a freezing
night. She was emaciated
and covered in infected
sores that our vet believed
were caused by being kept
in a too-small crate. We
were heartbroken to think
she had been subjected to
cruelty and neglect. She
was so malnourished that
she was put on a special
refeeding diet to help her
slowly and safely gain weight. It took some time, but she
became a happy and healthy dog who enjoyed snuggling
up in her cozy bed, playing fetch with her rope toys,
hanging out in our fenced area, and chewing on her
favorite orange ball.
She had a wardrobe of
warm coats to wear on
cold days and quite a
fan club among Shelter
staff and volunteers.
Unfortunately, she has
cropped ears that make
her appear less
friendly, and she was
uncomfortable around
other dogs. Finding her
the right home took
several months. We
rejoiced when we
placed her in a home
that loved her, only to
have her regretfully returned after two months when she
became uncomfortable around their six-year-old child. We
started the search for the perfect home again, and after a
few more months, she caught the eye of the lovely family
that adopted her. She is doing very well there, and they
love her.
Loki
Loki had a tough start in life. He was initially
purchased to hunt bears but failed at that job, so his
first owner gave him away. His second owner chained
him up and starved him. Luckily, he was rescued by
Athol Animal Control in November 2021. They treated
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him for heartworm and got him back to a healthy
weight. Despite
their best
efforts, they
could not find
him a home. In
late August of
this year, Loki
was transferred
to the Medfield
Shelter in hopes
that a venue
change would help him catch an adopter's eye. Loki
blossomed into a happy, playful dog who enjoyed
hikes, playtime, and attention. It was so rewarding to
see him become silly and
affectionate. After posting
many pictures and videos
on our social media and
having him featured on
Boston25's new Furever
Friday segment, we finally
received some applications
for him. After six weeks at
the Shelter and almost two
years in a kennel, Loki
found his forever home
with a loving family. They feel fortunate to have found
him, and Loki is delighted to finally have a place and
family to call his own.
Stacie
Stacie is an older kitty found as a stray in Palmer, MA, so
we don’t know anything about her former life. She was so
scared at the Shelter that we asked one of our longtime
fosters to take her home to see if she would be more
comfortable there. She has been in foster care since early
August and has made some progress, but she is a quiet cat
who doesn’t actively seek attention, so she doesn’t have
the type of personality most adopters desire. We are trying
to find her a
home with a
cozy place to
chill out and
someone who
will give her
plenty of time
and space to get comfortable. She does not seem to mind
her foster’s own cats and dogs so she could join a home
with other animals. She may benefit from having a
confident friend to help get her out of her shell and allow
her to blossom. Like Stacie, many of the cats we take in
make great progress in their potential adoptability if they
spend time in a home setting. Our foster families play a
critical role in helping these pets be successfully rehomed.
We are hoping Stacie will catch the eye of a potential
adopter soon.
HAPPY TAILS
Bella and Penny
Cider
Bingo and her Big Brother
Howie
Casper and Bayly
Lyra
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MORE HAPPY TAILS
Kitty and his golden retriever
Midge
Franklin
Luke and Philly
PEOPLE & BUSINESSES TO THANK
• New ‘N Towne Club of Medfield for their
donation
• Express Business Center, Medfield for
collecting Shelter donations
• Medfield Lions Club for their donation
• Andy Costello’s violin students for their
“Pennies for Pets” fundraiser
• Rocky’s Ace Hardware for their holiday pet
drive
• Malachi Chansky for his senior project to
benefit the Shelter
• Sisters of Charity, Norfolk for handmade dog
biscuits and toys in honor of MLK Day
• 1
st
Grade Students from the Joyce Kilmer
School, West Roxbury for their donation from
their community resources project
• Cassandra Torres of Open Doors Yoga Studio
and her students, Canton for raising funds for
the Shelter
• Roche Bros. for their gift card donation for our
Volunteer Appreciation Party
• Serena Marciniszyn for her fundraiser to benefit
the Shelter
• Temple Beth Elohim, Wellesley for their
donation in honor of Deb Beck for her work in
furthering justice and equity for all
• Barr Advisory employees for volunteering on
their annual day of giving
• Logan Sherry for his Capstone project to benefit
the Shelter
• Franklin High Taste Buds for baking and
donating dog treats
• People to People service group, Medfield for
helping with our spring clean up
• Randy’s Automotive, Medfield for their
Randy’s Rally for Rescues collection drive
THANKS TO OUR VETERINARIANS
We want to acknowledge our appreciation of our
partnering veterinarians for their kindness, generosity
and expertise. Thank you very much to:
• West Street Veterinary Clinic, Medfield
• Millis Animal Hospital, Millis
• Rosario Delgado-Lecaroz, DVM, Upton
• Commonwealth Veterinary Hospital, Newton
• Tufts Luke & Lily Lerner Spay/Neuter Clinic,
Grafton
• Holmes Family Veterinary Clinic, Walpole
• Tufts Veterinary Emergency & Specialties,
Walpole
• Sleepy Dog Veterinary, Arlington
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SOME OF OUR MANY SUPPORTERS
Lemonade Stand Donation
Donations Inspired by Athena Reading to his
guinea pig
Franklin High
Taste Buds
dog cookies
Kids with their
guinea pig
Donation
of shelter
supplies
purchased
with
birthday
money
Lemonade Stand
Donation
Lemonade Stand
Donation
A boy and his bunny
Logan’s
Capstone
Project
Donation
Cash Donation
Malachi’s
Senior
Project
THANK YOU FOR CARING ABOUT THE ANIMALS!
The Medfield Animal Shelter has once again been given a very special opportunity. A small group of
kind and generous donors have offered to match all donations made between November 15, 2023
and January 15, 2024 — up to $25,000. Please take advantage of this exceptional opportunity to help
us raise the funds needed to continue our mission to save animals in 2024!
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Donor’s Name: ______________________________________________________________________________
Street: _____________________________________________________________________________________
City:__________________________________________________________ State:_______ Zip:____________
Email address: ______________________________________________________________________________
(We will only use your email address to send donation receipts by email in order to reduce our donation
processing labor. We will not use or share your email address for any other purpose.)
q Check here if you would prefer a printed donation receipt instead of an email donation receipt
Would you like to make a donation as a gift, in honor of a friend, or in memory of an animal lover?
q My gift is in honor of ______________________________________________________________
q My gift is in memory of _____________________________________________________________
Please send acknowledgment to:
Name: _____________________________________________________________________________________
Street: _____________________________________________________________________________________
City:_________________________________________________________ State:_______ Zip:_____________
Occasion: (birthday, gift, etc.) __________________________________________________________________
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PREFER TO DONATE ONLINE? You can make a donation from our website, MedfieldShelter.com,
by clicking on the Donate link. Or go directly to MedfieldShelter.com/donate
DOES YOUR COMPANY MATCH CHARITABLE GIFTS? Many companies will match
charitable contributions made by their employees. If your company has a qualifying program, request a
matching gift form from your employer and your donation can help even more pets.
CARE TO DONATE STOCK? Donations of stock are tax deductible at their full market value and
eliminate the need to pay capital gains tax. E-mail [email protected] to learn more.
Medfield Animal Shelter
P.O. Box 271
Medfield MA 02052
