It's all about the destination.

We’ve all heard some form of the adage, it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey. Although this may hold true for many, at Cape Ann Animal Aid we believe it’s ALL about the destination. For the 1,300 plus animals that typically arrive at our Christopher Cutler Rich Animal Shelter each year, the destination means a chance at a better life filled with love and a family of their own. 

​So far in 2021, Cape Ann Animal Aid has already taken in more than 1000 animals from overcrowded southern shelters and other rescue organizations desperate for help. A heartbreaking message from our partners in Texas reminds us that safely transporting vulnerable animals from other parts of the country saves homeless dogs and cats from dire circumstances where their lives are at risk. 

Things are bad right now in Texas for animals - maybe the worst we have ever seen them. Shelters are closed and euthanizing due to lack of space. Rescues are overflowing. Dogs are being dumped by the litter in parks, roadways, and cemeteries. Craigslist and Walmart parking lots are full of ‘free puppies.’ Gas stations and convenience stores routinely have hungry adult dogs looking for food. It is heartbreaking and overwhelming."

​Levi and Julian are two tiny but mighty chihuahua mixes who were found as strays and rescued from a Houston, TX shelter.  Although we don't know their individual full stories as to why they  were abandoned and on their own, we do know that from the moment they were found they have been inseparable. ​

These two best friends were transported to our shelter in August along with 13 other abandoned pups. Levi was diagnosed with heartworm disease which can result in severe organ damage and death if left untreated.  With the high volume of heartworm-positive homeless animals in Texas, rescue organizations cannot afford to treat them all and are faced with making difficult decisions. 

​Because Cape Ann Animal Aid regularly works with rescue groups to transport animals to our shelter and also provide them with needed life-saving treatments, Levi, Julian and the rest of their travel buddies were given a second chance. After their arrival, we continued veterinary care and started working on finding homes for the 15 dogs, two of whom needed a family to adopt them together. 

​Bonded pairs like Levi and Julian require more medical attention, shelter resources and animal care hours which can make it difficult to find a shelter that can help. 

Thanks to you, Cape Ann Animal Aid's Safe Harbor Program helps transport animals safely to our shelter where we can provide them with the care they deserve and maybe a pupcake or two before finding them a family who will love them forever. ​

​Cape Ann Animal Aid’s Safe Harbor Program allows us to commit to saving as many homeless animals as we possibly can while allowing us to help our partners in areas of the country who are overwhelmed and stressed.

seen first-hand the transformative effects our medical and behavioral resources have on the animals we transport to our shelter. Jazz and Rat are two lucky cats whose lives were forever changed the day they arrived at our shelter. And in return, they are now providing much-needed love and joy to their new family.​​

Jazz arrived from our partners in Georgia in early spring. He was found by himself at a very young age. He needed medical attention for an upper respiratory infection and a good amount of socialization help.

Jazz did not have the benefit of learning proper manners from his mother or siblings, so after our medical team successfully treated Jazz's infection, he was placed with a foster to help him improve his play skills. Although he was incredibly affectionate to both people and dogs and entertained his foster family with hours of fetching his favorite blue mouse, his play behaviors were not improving. We decided he needed a fellow cat friend to teach him proper manners.

​Animals can form bonds naturally in a previous home or while in foster care. They can also have friendship bonds strategically created to help reduce stress and/or correct behaviors.

​To help Jazz, our Cape Ann Animal Aid animal care team spent time assessing other cats in our shelter in the hopes that we could find him a friend to teach him how to play nicely. One cat's calm and confident demeanor was just what Jazz needed.​

​Rat was transported to our shelter from a local Massachusetts rescue group and was diagnosed by our veterinary medical team with a heart murmur.​ Like humans, cats and dogs can live long healthy lives with heart murmurs but getting adopted is not always easy. Lucky for Rat, he now had Jazz to keep him company.

The two cats complemented each other so well that they caught the eye of a woman looking for the perfect cat duo to keep her company after a family tragedy. Rat and Jazz, now named Philip and Thomas, have found a loving home of their own. Their adopter recently let us know that they continue to provide so much joy for each other and for her as well.

​"Philip and Thomas, are a delight and best friends. Philip (Rat) is very kind and patient with Thomas’ (Jazz) shenanigans. My husband Bill died last year, and these two characters are wonderfully comforting companions. I am so grateful they were recognized as buddies at the shelter, as they helped each other adapt to their new home."

​Your compassion and support for homeless animals like Levi, Julian, Jazz, and Rat mean the world to us and the many other animals who benefit from our life-saving programs.

Levi and Julian were adopted together into a wonderful family who saw that they were too special to be separated. We are so happy that we could find them a home where they could remain together and continue to share a life filled with love and all the comfy blue blankets they deserve. 

DONATE TODAY

​Please give so homeless animals near and far, who rely on Cape Ann Animal Aid's Safe Harbor Program, can be guaranteed a second chance at a better life.