Rescued Dogs Showing Signs of Improvement

MSPCA officials are cautiously optimistic that the will make a full recovery and be able to be adopted out to new homes at some point.

The dogs, mostly Pointers, were surrendered by Margaret Nickerson-Malpher of South Dakota, after she was arrested Tuesday. Prosecutors allege she kept 15 dogs and three cats in a van for more than five hours during the heat of the day.

She told police she had checked into the motel around 7 a.m., after having driven overnight from a home she owns in Topsfield, Maine.

One of the dogs died as a result of heatstroke and dehydration. Three others were in critical condition and were taken to the MSPCA's Angel Animal Hospital in Boston.

"It must have been hell on wheels," said Michael Keiley, director of the MSPCA's Nobile Family Adoption Center at Nevins Farm in Methuen, where the remaining 11 dogs were taken for treatment and rehabilitation. "They are being treated for hyperthermia and conditions related to that."

"Some are showing improvement. It's a guarded prognosis," he said. "Hopefully, with 24-hour care, they will recover."

The 11 dogs and three cats brought to the Methuen facility are doing considerably better. All exhibited some level of symptoms related to dehydration and hyperthermia. They were treated with fluids and are being monitored closely on a daily basis.

Keiley said that while this is an extreme case, it highlights the dangers of leaving dogs, or any animals, locked in a vehicle.

"People are often unaware how quickly animals can overheat," he said. The temperature index in a vehicle can rise over 20 degrees fairly quickly."

Keiley said he has seen cases before, similar to that of Nickerson-Malpher, where an individual tries to breed animals or keep adopt large numbers of dogs or cars and gets in way over their heads.

"We see people, who maybe start out with the right intentions of raising animals or rescuing animals," he said. "But there is no way one person can provide the proper care for that many animals"

Keiley said part of the problem in Nickerson-Malpher's case was that all of the dogs, except for one, had not been spayed or neutered.

Keiley said he expects to get many inquiries from people interested in adopting the dogs rescued from Tewksbury but he said it will be quite some time before these particular dogs are ready for adoption.

"The dogs have definitely been traumatized," he said. "they're overwhelmed. they're going to need some time."

The addition of the Pointers has brought the Methuen facility to full capacity, according to Keiley. The facility recently took in 17 dogs that had been displaced from Springfield-area shelters after the recent tornadoes. Keiley said those dogs, most of them small breeds, are ready for adoption right now.

In addition, the MSPCA is currently in the middle of "SPF 75" an initiative designed to help; find homes for more than 700 adult cats presently at MSPCA facilities across the state. Because of a generous donation, the adoption fee has been cut in  half, to just $75.

"We encourage people to come down in person and meet the animals," said Keiley. "Our staff does a good job matching animals with the right homes."

People interested in adopting a pet from the MSPCA in Methuen can also go online to _MSPCA.org/nevinsfarm_ .