Worcester Animal Rescue League

By Allie Simone, Acting Director, Worcester Animal Rescue League

The Worcester Animal Rescue League has received considerable feedback from the public in response to Monday’s T&G article regarding the proposed muzzling ordinance. Clients, volunteers, WARL supporters and county residents are deeply concerned about the negative impact such an ordinance will have. Should this ordinance come to pass, we are certain that many dogs will be abandoned and consequently seized in record numbers.

And, where will they go? There is no official, city-financed “dog pound” in Worcester. The only facility in the city capable of accepting lost or abandoned animals is the Worcester Animal Rescue League. The Worcester Animal Rescue League is a private, non-profit, limited intake animal shelter, accepting pets only when space is available; Adoptable pets are not euthanized because of time or space constraints. This is our firm policy, and we have worked hard to make this a positive reality for the homeless animals of Worcester County. The Worcester Animal Rescue League currently has only 96 kennels for dogs and 41 cages for cats, plus a very limited number of foster home caregivers. On average, the WARL receives over 2,600 homeless animals each year. And, in the current economy, adoption rates have dropped while surrender rates have climbed.

We are very concerned that the City Council has not thought through the ramifications of the passing of this ordinance. Animal control officers were not consulted. County shelter administrators were not conferred with. What will happen to the numerous pit bulls, pit bull crosses and others mistakenly identified as pit bulls, all of which the city finds itself newly in possession of?

The Worcester Animal Rescue League values the long standing relationship it has built with the City of Worcester. However, it is not currently held by a contract to accept impounded dogs found in Worcester. If this ordinance passes, the Worcester Animal Rescue League will no longer accept dogs from Worcester. The dedicated staff and supporters have worked too hard and advanced the organization too far in the quality of care given to its animals to suddenly reverse our no-kill, limited intake policies. This ordinance would be asking us to take a giant step backwards, becoming once again a kill shelter. We wish to be very clear: The Worcester Animal Rescue League will have no part in euthanizing dogs or any other animal due to breed discrimination.

We all know that each animal is an individual. The staff and volunteers at the Worcester Animal Rescue League care for thousands of animals each year (including many wonderful pit bulls, which happily find forever homes throughout the county and beyond) and do not believe in discriminating against a specific breed of animal. What’s more, most animal behaviorists agree that humans are the cause of the vast majority of behavior issues.

Alternatively to the City Council’s proposed plan, the Worcester Animal Rescue League believes establishing a mandatory spay/neuter ordinance for pit bulls would be a much more effective program. We are convinced that a muzzling ordinance in Worcester will ultimately fail. Why? Muzzling does not prohibit breeding; what it does do is make a dog look more intimidating, which only satisfies the social/cultural needs of irresponsible owners who use the dogs as a status symbol.

According to the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association), 75% of dog bites are caused by intact (that is, unneutered) male dogs. It is no wonder than that a proactive bite prevention program begins with a stricter enforcement of spay/neuter practices. This is simply common sense.

The Worcester Animal Rescue League has nearly 100 years of experience in such matters, and it welcomes members of our community and the Worcester City Council to tour the shelter, meet the staff and new director, and visit with all the great pets waiting for a home. Additionally, The Worcester Animal Rescue League hopes to work collaboratively with the City of Worcester in developing practical pet ordinances that serve all residents (both two and four-legged) of our community.

By Rosalie Tirella

So sad. So heartbreaking. My quest for a new best friend (dog) has been a real heartbreaker.

The last few times I adopted a pooch I seemed to find my canine soulmate within a week or two. I adopted both my fabulous dogs from the Worcester Animal Rescue League: “Bailey,” a big-boned Nova Scotia Retriever, 5 years ago, and “Grace,” a Lab/Beagle/Australian Cattle Dog mix (a classic “Heinz 57,” as my vet put it), 15 years ago.

Both were fantastic finds.

Grace was sweet and quiet and loved to ride shot-gun in the jalopy I happened to be driving at the moment. As I’d drive, Grace would have her front paws firmly planted on the two bucket seats in front and her rear legs a hold of the back seat. She could handle anything the road through at us! Curves, pot holes - my quick braking. She once fell head over paws into the front seat as the dope infront of me stopped short and damn near killed me and Gracie. Once, on Route 20, I almost drove headlong into a speeding 18 wheeler (don’t ask). After that two-second brush with death, Grace and I turned and looked at each other - at the same time. Yes, she had been scared shitless, too. Click to continue »

editor’s note: in light of tonight’s Worcester City Council meeting, some testimonials from pit bull owners:

My dog Angel

In September of 2008, we began searching to rescue a pit bull. We wanted to rescue a pit bull particularly because of the bad reputation they have gotten due to irresponsible ownership. I researched the breed and thought a pit would fit wonderfully with our family. We have two young daughters, seven and three as well as two cats. It took just a couple of weeks to find Angel, called Amy at Worcester Animal Rescue League. Angel was in isolation due to a case of kennel cough. I figured it was a perfect chance because not many knew she was even at the shelter unless they had searched the web like me. I called the rescue league and set up a meeting for the next day. When they brought Angel out, she greeted us with a wagging tail and unbelievable happiness. She didn’t jump on my children which was a great bonus! Angel was brought to the shelter as a stray Click to continue »

Wishing all the homeless dog and cats, puppies and kittens, (as well as mice, ferrets, gerbils) of Worcester County have loving homes for the holidays?

Then check out tomorrow’s (SUNDAY, DEC. 6) open house at the Worcester Animal Rescue League on Holden Street (Worcester)! From 1 p.m to 4 p.m. Dec. 6  WARL staffers and volunteers will treat you to holiday yummies, music, tours of the kennels and facility and more! Best of all you can visit with all their animals - and hopefully adopt one or two. I visit WARL all the time - adopted both my dogs from WARL. Click to continue »

Biscotti is a young domestic short hair cat that is tiger and white.
Poor Biscotti was abandoned by her family. Thank goodness she is here now, in a safe place, while she waits for someone to fall in love and take her home. She’s a lovely girl who likes people, though she appreciates having “me time” to spend doing secret cat things. She would prefer a home without dogs; she thinks they’re too loud and silly. Come on down to meet this pretty girl today!

Caterpillar is a domestic long hair dilute calica.I’m Caterpillar. I was pregnant when I came to the shelter. I gave birth to 6 kittens on May 2 during the shelter’s big yard sale. I’m a quiet cat. Sometimes people don’t hear me talking to them, so I’ll get on their laps or onto a counter to get their attention. Click to continue »

By Deirdre Healy

The morning of May 12 dawned like any other day here in the city of Worcester, with children going to school and people off to work. In one corner of the city, however, a little drama was about to unfold which would touch many lives for years to come. An animal hoarder under court order to remove a large quantity of cats from a third floor apartment was about to be visited by law enforcement and animal control officers to assure compliance with that court order.

Animal hoarders aren’t cruel, mean-spirited people; instead, they usually have some psychological need or dependency which the animals seem to fill. Hoarders keep a higher than usual number of animals without having the ability to properly house or care for them. The animals often suffer from malnourishment, neglect and overcrowding. The health of the people living near or with the hoarder can also suffer, due to the lack of veterinary care the animals receive and the lack of sanitation.
Hoarding knows no social or economic boundaries and can be found in cities, towns or rural areas. Click to continue »

By Rosalie Tirella

Worcester Animal Rescue League’s Dorreen LaPorte was driving in the Webster Square area last summer when she saw something that broke her heart: a young pit bull dog - younger than 1 year - was straining to pull three gray cinder blocks in the summer heat. The cinder blocks (weighing about 45 pounds each) were attached to three heavy chains and the chains were attached to the dog’s collar. Pit bulls are - believe it or not - crazy about people! They were bred to bait bulls and later used to fight dogs. Without their desire to please their masters, they could not endure the insanity of the bloody dog-fighting pit or tortured bulls. Also, a less sociable dog woud not allow himself to be extricated (by his master) from the pit, in the middle of a fight. (Hence, the relatively light weight of the turn-of-the-20th century pit bull dogs - 45ish pounds).

Combine the pit bull’s fierce loyalty, love of their master/mistress, innate intelligence, stamina and steely will and you have the scene LaPorte witnessed: a pit bull on Webster Square, who when his owner says “mush,” mushes. In 90-degree weather. All heart . LaPorte, who has been the executive director of WARL for more than 10 years, knew what the owner was doing - training his pit bull for dog fights.
“There’s a [pit bull fighting] dog ring on Southbridge Street,” LaPorte says. She has called the Worcester Animal Control Officers - and their bosses - and they have done nothing about breaking up the ring and rescuing the dogs. LaPorte believes there are “multiple” dog fighting rings in Worcester. Click to continue »

By Rosalie Tirella

The Worcester Animal Rescue League, hands down, is one of the fabbest institutions in Worcester. Fifteen years ago, when I got my first dog, Grace, from them the place was a cesspool. Dark, stinky, with about 10 kennels for stray/surrendered dogs (I remember the uncovered lightbulbs hanging in the kennels as the dogs’ only source of light) and little space for cats, companion animals were euthanized all the time. I rember one staffer saying during spring: It’s kitten season: we kill a ton of kittens. It was not so much an admission of cruelty as statement of cold hard facts. The place was small, underfunded, behind the times. I remember wanting to go home to think about adopting Grace. The WARL staffer said: Well, she’ll be put down tomorrow. She’s been here a week.  I adopted Grace on the spot.

Then, some years later, a miracle happens at WARL. In walks Dorren Currier, and the world changes for Worcester’s homeless companion animals! Dorren, who has been executive director of WARL for more than a decade, did a complete overhaul of what was then a dump. Not only that - this fomer college hospitality major - turned WARL into a fun, educational, inspirational place.

First: the lights went on so no dogs were kept in the dark. Then all the kennels torn down and new ones installed PLUS about another 100! That’s right! WARL expanded in a major way with offices, a surgery suite, beautiful kitchen area, dog washing area, and my God, you knew it. They even built a play area outside WARL so the pups (of all ages!) could frolic. Relationships were formed with area vets and Tufts Veterinary School. Surrendered puppies, pooches, old dogs, cats, guinea pigs, parrots, even teddy bear hamsters saw their furry lives turned around by the mighty WARL! No homeless animal was turned away - ever. And no one was put down.

Visit WARL today! You will never ever smell poop or urine in the kennels. The dogs are beautifully cared for, vet checked each Thursday, walked daily by WARL volunteers. The cats have a giant play room! To visit WARL is to be inspired by all the love. Money is always tight: So they have festivals and fairs to raise dough for all the lovely animals. They also take contributions of all types (not just monetary).

And now, something I have been dreaming of for years: WARL, in conjunction with the great folks at Tufts, is going into the inner-city and holding FREE RABIES/WELLNESS clinics in the City of Worcester’s six public housing complexes. Everyone knows that if you’re poor, you can’t afford veterinarians, who charge you $50 - $80 to walk in their office door. Typical bill: $150 - $200. Poor people need pets just like everyone else! But I digress! Back to the WHA FREE public housing clinics! They had one this Saturday at the high rise on Pleasant Street. Dogs and cats came in and were given free rabies and distemper vaccinations. They were also given general wellness check ups, and the cats were groomed, if necessary. Their nails also trimmed.

This is the Worcester I love! This is my city at its grandest! Go, WARL/Tufts, go!!!

For more info, please call WARL at 508.853.0030  Also, please visit … and make a donation