An 8-year-old Shih Tzu was recently tied to a fence outside the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL). Boston Animal Care and Adoption Centerand after discovering and removing a malignant mass, ARL was thrilled to find this sweet puppy a special home to live out the rest of his days filled with comfort and love.
In mid-August, the dog, named Raggedy Ann, was spotted by a garbage collector around 5 a.m., tied to a fence outside ARL’s shelter on the Tremont Street side, and notified staff a little later when the good Samaritan realized that the dog had probably been abandoned by its owner.
The animal had a collar but no tag, and it also had a bowl of water left.
ARL assumes the owner didn’t know what else to do and left the dog in a moment of panic.
Raggedy Ann underwent a thorough veterinary examination which revealed a breast mass, which was removed and biopsied – unfortunately the mass was malignant.
And even if a chest X-ray showed no signs of metastatic disease, it’s possible that other breast tumors will appear or that metastatic disease will become apparent as she ages.
Given her medical condition, ARL wanted to see Raggedy Ann find a new home as quickly as possible so she could enjoy the rest of her life in a home with a loving family.
A dedicated ARL volunteer stepped up to open her heart and home, and Raggedy Ann quickly settled in and thrived in her new environment.
ARL is a resource
As Raggedy Ann is left outside of the Boston Animal Care and Adoption Center, ARL would like to remind the public to always surrender a pet in person.
Surrendering a pet is an incredibly difficult decision, and ARL understands this.
If a pet owner needs to surrender an animal, ARL asks owners to do so in person, so the transfer of the animal can be done safely, and this is also an opportunity for ARL staff to learn as much as possible about the animal.
Additionally, ARL understands that circumstances arise in life when pet ownership is no longer possible and provides a comfortable, safe and perhaps most importantly, judgment-free environment to proceed with pet relinquishment. ‘a pet.
If a pet owner is struggling with the decision to surrender, ARL offers a variety of services that can help keep the pet out of a shelter and into the loving home where they belong.
Services include ARL Free Pet Behavior HelplineTHE Keep pets safe program, the Well-being, Spay Waggin’among others.