We are thrilled to share that Cape Ann Animal Aid has been awarded a $30,000 grant from the Petco Foundation to support our pre-adoption veterinary care program! The Petco Foundation’s investment will secure essential equipment and supplies needed to expand our current in-shelter veterinary practices for sheltered animals to include minor medical procedures and cat neuter surgeries.
 
Cape Ann Animal Aid has remained dedicated to curbing pet overpopulation issues over the years, making it a priority to spay and neuter animals prior to their adoption rather than relying on post-adoption voucher systems. In addition, we secure specialized vet care for animals needing more than routine care in preparation for adoption. For nearly twenty years, these surgeries and other procedures have been done in partnership with local veterinary clinics, most prominently with Cape Ann Veterinary Hospital and North Shore Veterinary Hospital, both of Gloucester.

​Adopters travel from all over New England to adopt dogs or cats from Cape Ann Animal Aid and we have a strong presence in the local community, hosting school groups and leaning on a legion of nearly 200 volunteers each month. While local rescues are our priority, many of the animals are rescued and transported to Cape Ann Animal Aid from areas battling high-euthanasia and neglect rates such as Texas, Georgia, and Puerto Rico.
 
We have seen impressive growth over the years. In 2010, we placed 769 animals into loving homes. That number has nearly doubled, with 1,535 animals saved and placed into loving homes in 2018. In 2012, our organization moved into a newly constructed shelter in West Gloucester and interest in animal adoption continues to increase.

​In the future, we aim to move a majority of veterinary care for sheltered animals to an internal clinic under the leadership of our Director of Shelter Medicine, Dr. Alex Becket.
 
“Thanks to the Petco Foundation’s investment, the first step of that dream is becoming a reality,” said Buck. “We estimates that cat neuters will begin happening in the shelter later this year. It’s the start of a very exciting time for our shelter and the animals we care for.”
 
Representatives from the Petco Foundation will present Cape Ann Animal Aid with the grant check at 11 a.m. on Sunday, June 23 at the Petco located at Gloucester Crossing in Gloucester MA (341 Gloucester Crossing Road). Members of the community are invited to attend.
 
For more information about Cape Ann Animal Aid, visit www.capeannanimalaid.org. For more on the Petco Foundation, visit www.petcofoundation.org and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram by using the hashtag #PetcoFamily.

On November 3rd, we held a Pet Trust Luncheon for members of our community. The event was generously sponsored by Cape Ann Savings Bank Trust and Financial Services and Warshaw, Di Carlo & Associates. The function room of the Gloucester House was filled with pet owners, eager to learn how to protect their pets in the event that they pass away or are otherwise unable to care for them. For those that were unable to attend, we hope this recap and linked resources are helpful to you as you make important decisions and plans for the future.

Unfortunately, most people do not make arrangements for their pets in their estate plan and as a result, Cape Ann Animal Aid is often asked to assume responsibility for pets when the owners of these animals are no longer capable of providing care. In fact, in 2017 alone, we took in 22 animals due to either declining health or death of the owner. 

Attorneys George Warshaw and Noel DiCarlo of Warshaw, DiCarlo and Associates presented the case for considering the many legal mechanisms that can be used to ensure that your pet has both a caretaker and the funds available for their care.

They outlined important steps in preparing for your pet's care in the future and answered questions from attendees. One of the first steps is to name a caretaker and to make sure they are willing and able to take on your pet’s care. Relying on family and friends without making sure they have the ability and desire to care for your pets is not enough. They also encouraged you to name additional willing caretakers as back-ups should complications arise.

Next, it is important to provide sufficient funds to care for your pet during their lifetime. In Massachusetts, all of this can be done through a pet trust. George and Noel both emphasized that once the pet trust is set up, it should be revisited periodically to make sure it does not need to be updated.

The key take away from the event was that making sure your beloved pets will be taken care of when you can no longer take care of them yourself is important and the time to start the process is now.

For more information about setting up a pet trust, speak with your lawyer, or contact Warshaw, Dicarlo and Associates. Financial planning assistance is also available through local banks such as Cape Ann Financial and Trust Services, the generous presenting sponsor of the luncheon.

Resources and Links:
Pet Trust Information
(Warshaw, DiCarlo and Associates)

Travel/Home Away Pet Care Instructions
(Warshaw, DiCarlo and Associates)

Cape Ann Trust and Financial Services

Sandy Mitchell Circle of Friends Bequest Society
(Cape Ann Animal Aid)

Thank you for the incredible show of support for Florian. His spirits (and ours) were uplifted by your love. As we stated in the original post, we have been working closely with the local Animal Control and law enforcement officials on this case. As such, we are not able to disclose very many details. However, we wanted to keep you updated to the best of our ability.

We can confirm that Florian is no longer in our care. A relative of the perpetrator contacted Animal Control and took custody of him. They were unaware that he was going to be abandoned and were extremely grateful for his safe capture and the care he received at Cape Ann Animal Aid. Florian was familiar with this individual and we believe that he is going to be happy and safe in this person’s care.

We will continue to work with local officials regarding charges that may be brought against the individual that made the careless and inhumane decision to abandon Florian. We made a decision to share this story publicly to spread awareness and promote healthy conversations about pet surrender. We thank you again for your suggestions, words of support, and continued friendship.

It’s been a stressful and nerve-wracking weekend here at Cape Ann Animal Aid and we wanted to tell you about it. But first, a quick note -- Our goal in sharing this story is to emphasize the importance of considering local shelters like Cape Ann Animal Aid a partner in the surrender process. We can only accept new animals when we have space available. Intakes (both local surrenders and all out-of-state transports) are done on an appointment basis. In some cases, appointments can be made for the same day and other times, space is not available for a few days or even weeks. Scheduled intake insures the safety and emotional well-being of all the animals in our care. Regardless, our goal is to always to treat the animals and pet owners with respect, doing all we can to address difficult situations with sensitivity and care.

On Friday morning, a pet owner arrived at Cape Ann Animal Aid with their cat in a carrier. They needed to surrender the cat but our shelter was completely full. If we had open space available, we would have been able to take in the cat that day, but since they needed immediate placement and could not wait, we offered to refer them to other facilities that might have more immediate space availability.

They did not start the surrender process nor did they accept our offer of referral. Instead, they became angry and abruptly left with the cat. They chose to stop their car halfway down Paws Lane and released the cat on the side of the road.

When an owner makes an irresponsible decision such as abandonment, we can only hope for an outcome like this. We were lucky to catch this cat and we will do all we can to make him feel safe and loved. While he is a little uneasy in the shelter and around the other cats, he is very sweet with people. We have named him 'Florian', the meaning of which is ‘blooming or flowering’. Florian was found safe among blooming flowers in our shelter garden and we hope that he will bloom and thrive while in our care. We will be sure to keep you updated on his status.

If you or someone you know ever needs to surrender an animal, please refer them to our Pet Surrender webpage for resources, detailed information about our surrender process, and copies of our surrender questionnaires. It is our responsibility to insure that we have enough space and resources necessary to provide exceptional care to each animal in our protection. The waiting period before a scheduled intake can fluctuate from immediate intake to a few days or weeks. For those needing same-day placement when it is not possible, we will always refer or connect individuals to other facilities where space may be available. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us directly.

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