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The MSPCA-Angell is moving about 30 dogs out of Alabama to make room for animals displaced by Hurricane Isaias, the first hurricane of the Atlantic season. The organization announced the effort from Boston on October 9, 2026.
The dogs are coming from Greater Birmingham Humane Society. The transport is being done with the Bissell Pet Foundation, as part of MSPCA-Angell’s Natural Disaster Relief program.
The plan has several parts. Shelters in the projected hurricane path are evacuating animals to Greater Birmingham, but Birmingham can’t house them unless it moves some of its own dogs out.
That’s where MSPCA-Angell comes in. By taking some of Birmingham’s dogs, it frees up space for the evacuees and for shelters in the storm’s path that may need temporary room.
The dogs were expected to land at Beverly Regional Airport on the afternoon of October 9. MSPCA-Angell vans would meet them and bring them to the Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem.
They range from about two months to 11 years old. The mix includes German shepherds, terriers, poodles, pit bulls, chihuahuas, huskies, and Labrador retrievers.
They are expected to be available for adoption after a state-mandated 48-hour quarantine, plus any medical or behavioral care they need. “This is phase one of our response,” said Mike Keiley, MSPCA-Angell’s vice president of animal protection.
He said impacted shelters may also need help after the storm passes. That could mean sending staff to affected areas or bringing up more animals already in shelters.
MSPCA-Angell is asking for donations to support the recent arrivals and its relief program at mspca.org/hurricane. It also needs adopters and fosters, and its four shelters are in Boston, Methuen, Salem, and Centerville on Cape Cod.
My thoughts:
The detail that stands out is how indirect the help is. The dogs being moved aren’t the ones in danger from the storm, they’re the ones already in Birmingham’s shelter, and moving them out creates room for animals that are.
That kind of planning only works if somebody far from the storm has open space, which is why the release keeps coming back to adopters and fosters. Every dog adopted in Massachusetts is a kennel available for the next evacuation.
The release was written before the dogs arrived, so it doesn’t confirm that they landed or how they’re doing. It’s a plan and an appeal, not a status report.
Source: MSPCA-Angell press release, October 9, 2026
