Missing Puppies in Massachusetts!

Readers, Our friends at Sterling Animal Shelter asked for bsp's help in spreading the word about 

two stolen puppies. The puppies are believed to be in danger.

Quinn - Blue collar in the is a pointer/lab/pit mix female 11 wks male

Scout – female black lab mix 10-11 weeks (pictured on the left)

Contact: Leigh Grady – Executive Director

978 422 8585 or staff@sterlingshelter.org

Friday, March 18, 2011

Update on STOLEN Sterling Shelter puppies

Sterling, MA - As of 3/18/2011 10:15 PM – Animal Shelter Inc. has recovered 7 of the 9 puppies stolen from the Animal Shelter Inc. of Sterling, MA the night of Wednesday March 16^th 2011.

There are two puppies STILL missing….and we are extremely concerned for their safety and well-being. They have both had surgery recently and the shelter has had reports that they may have been abandoned to fend for themselves in the streets of Worcester. Their pictures are posted below… the last know sightings were in the Worcester area of Plumley Village / Burncoat Street and citings were also reported in the Franklin St / David Clark area of Worcester MA. These puppies are in immediately danger and in need of medical care.

Quinn - Blue collar in the is a pointer/lab/pit mix female 11 wks male

Scout – female black lab mix 10-11 weeks (pictured on the left)

“The Sterling Police Department, Detective David Johnson our Sterling ACO, as well as the Worcester, MA police department and Detective Mike Tarckini of the Worcester Detective’s Bureau’s have been instrumental in helping to recover these puppies. We’re also thankfully to the Boston Animal Rescue leagues PR department for helping to get the word out…and Lt. Alan Borgal of the Boston ARL who’ve helped us get through this extremely distressing time. Our shelter is grateful for all the help and support that the community has shown… it means so much to us… the calls and emails of support have been overwhelming… We are all very touched and cannot begin to thank the community of pet lovers that are watching out and over these tiny creatures who are so innocent,” stated Leigh Grady – Executive Director of the Animal Shelter Inc. of Sterling, MA.

Four puppies were returned to the shelter late Wednesday night by Sterling’s Police Chief and Sterling ACO. According to reports an anonymous tip to the Worcester Police Department led them to the puppies. On Friday morning, a man brought in one of the shepherd mix puppies before the shelter was open. Shelter staff recognized him as one of the person/s that was at the shelter the morning of the break-in. His information has been turned over to the Sterling and Worcester Police Departments to follow up. The sibling to that puppy was found abandoned at a school in Worcester in Burncoat area. Tossed out of a car and found cowered under a car whimpering. The crying brought the school staff to look for the source of the noise where they discovered the puppy under a parked car. The 7^th puppy was brought to the shelter hours later, found by two Good Samaritans who saw two puppies running together. They managed to get one of the puppies, but the other was spooked and ran off. That puppy was seen in the Franklin St / David Clark area of Worcester MA.

“The remaining two puppies are still missing and it’s disgusting and sickening to think that someone may have just dumped them in hopes they wouldn’t get caught. They could have brought the puppies to another shelter or made a call anonymously to our shelter or the ANY of the police departments, animal control facilities, vet hospitals or brought the puppies really ANYWHERE so that they’d be safe and returned to us for the much needed medical care they will need. We are pleading with anyone who has information, has possibly found one of the puppies or might know they’re whereabouts to PLEASE contact the Sterling or Worcester Police Departments or our shelter. “We just want these puppies home safe, back to our shelter where they will get the medical attention they are desperately in need of. We just know they’re out there and our staff and volunteers have been in tears over this…to think that they might be hit by a car…wandering in the woods searching for food, becoming hypothermic or worse…attacked by a coyote or fisher cat…none of our staff can sleep at night thinking of all the terrible things that could happen to these innocent babies….” Grady added.

Tips or Information can be directed to * Sterling Police Dept 978 422 7331 report anonymously http://www.sterlingpd.com/tipform.html or call anonymously (508) 425-4669
* Animal Shelter Inc. of Sterling at 978 422 8585 or email staff@sterlingshelter.org or
* Worcester Police department text an anonymous tip to the http://www.worcesterma.gov/police/anonymous-crime-tips or call (508) 799-8606.