Photo: Courtesy of the MSPCA
METHUEN, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals announced on Thursday that they are looking for adopters for more than a hundred animals who were rescued from an animal cruelty case in Ayer.
Among the animals are 91 chickens, 11 ducks, eight geese, two ponies, and 49 goats, some of whom are pregnant.
Photo: Courtesy of the MSPCA
Their previous owner, a 77-year-old resident of Ayer, was arraigned in Ayer District Court on Monday on 30 counts of animal cruelty.
A total of 162 animals were seized by authorities after police received a request for a well-being check on a residential property in February, where they found several dead animals and unsanitary living conditions with inadequate access to food and water.
The owner surrendered the animals to the care of the MSPCA on Monday.
Photo: Courtesy of the MSPCA
Now, the animals are receiving medical care from veterinarians and other animal carers at the MSPCA shelter at Nevins Farm in Methuen.
“These animals have been through a lot,” said MSPCA-Angell Vice President of Animal Protection Mike Keiley in a press release on Thursday.
“But now that they’re in our care, we’re focused on helping them get back to good health—including getting them to adequate body weights—and placing into homes where they’ll get the love and care they deserve.”
Keiley explained that many of the animals needed medical care when they arrived. “In addition to caring for the pregnant goats and their eventual babies, we need to castrate the males, and some of the birds also need additional treatment, including a poor goose that has a tumor on its eyelid.”
He added that animal care has already reached $20,000, and the MSPCA is facing more costs as the animals continue to recover.
Photo: Courtesy of the MSPCA
Although some of the animals are still getting medical attention, there are others who are ready for new homes.
“Getting all of these animals ready for adoption will take an extraordinary amount of work, given the condition they arrived in,” said Keiley. “But there are some goats, ducks, geese, and roosters at Nevins who are ready to find their forever homes now.”
People interested in adopting can visit Nevins Farm during their open hours (Tuesday through Sunday, 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.), or they can submit an adoption inquiry at their website.
The MSPCA said that people who would like to donate to offset medical care costs can do so at their website as well.
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