Each year, it's estimated that more than one million adoptable dogs and cats are euthanized in the United States, simply because too many pets come into shelters and too few people consider adoption when looking for a pet. The number of euthanized animals could be reduced dramatically if more people adopted pets instead of buying them. FOUR MILLION HIGHLY ADOPTABLE DOGS ARE KILLED EACH YEAR IN THIS COUNTRY'S "SHELTERS." THAT IS 1 DOG EVERY 13 SECONDS. When you adopt, you save a loving animal by making them part of your family and open up a foster home for another animal who might desperately need it. Animal shelters and rescue groups are brimming with happy, healthy pets just waiting for someone to take them home. Most shelter pets wound up there because of a human problem like a move or a divorce, not because the animals did anything wrong.
Adopting is cheaper than buying. Rescue dogs are already spayed or neutered and vaccinated and given a clean bill of health when they leave the rescue. When you purchase a dog at a pet shop, online, from a puppy mill, or from a breeder, you will pay the purchase price plus the cost of vaccinating and spaying or neutering plus other medical costs associated with helping that dog reach its optimal state of health.
When you submit an application for an available dog, you will be considered along with all other applications received for that dog. We understand that you may be a great home, but you may not be the only great home who has applied for a particular dog. We are fortunate that we get such great applicants — so many that it is very difficult to choose. If you are not selected for the dog for which you have applied, we will keep your application on file for 3 months. While we will keep your application on file for 3 months, please continue to keep an eye on our available dogs and let us know if you see one that catches your eye or steals your heart. If you see another dog that you would like to be considered for, please contact us by email at adoptions@buddyandfriendsma.org to let us know of your interest.
Adoption Fee's are $650.00
Our adoption fee helps to defray the rescue’s boarding and veterinary expenses but does not cover the entire expense we incur for each dog.
This adoption fee covers the following:
Please allow at least 48-72 for your application to be processed and your personal references to be checked as we rely wholly on volunteers to accomplish our mission. We are committed to matching the animal to the right family.
PAY YOUR ADOPTION FEE HERE!
In 2012, a law was signed in Massachusetts that set forth a statewide dangerous dog law and specifically prohibited regulation based on breed. No Massachusetts municipality may have a breed-discriminatory ordinance. However, private entities, such as landlords and insurance companies, may still continue to discriminate.
A number of breeds have been restricted or banned, including:
Pit Bull Terriers
Staffordshire Terriers
Rottweilers
German Shepherds
Presa Canarios
Chows Chows
Doberman Pinschers
Akitas
Wolf-hybrids
Mastiffs
Cane Corsos
Great Danes
Alaskan Malamutes
Siberian Huskies
Is it legal for my insurance company to deny, cancel, or increase my premium because of the type of dog I own?
Yes. The law does not prohibit insurance companies from discrimination based on breed. While breed-specific city and town ordinances have been challenged on constitutional grounds, such as due process and equal protection, insurance companies — because they are not part of the government — are not subject to these constitutional restrictions.
Dog bite claims cost insurance companies a tremendous amount of money. It is estimated that 4.7 million injuries occur from dog bites each year in the United States, with 800,000 requiring medical treatment. Insurance companies pay an estimated $250 million a year in dog bite claims, with an average claim cost of $12,000. Insurance companies sometimes attempt to limit their liability for these dog bites by eliminating what they perceive as high risks.
Yes. Insurance companies that may insure otherwise black-listed dog breeds include Liberty Mutual, Nationwide, Amica, State Farm, Chubb, USAA (for military members and their families) and the Massachusetts FAIR plan. Most of these companies work on a case by case basis, considering the individual dog’s behavior and history, and may require a meet and greet with the dog and/or a Canine Good Citizen certification or certain housing requirements.
Like homeowner’s insurance, renter’s insurance may cover dog bites. If you are a potential tenant looking for an apartment, an offer to provide renter’s insurance may help convince a landlord to accept you and your dog as tenants. Additionally, renter’s insurance will cover your personal property not covered by your landlord’s insurance.
Check your policy. If your policy is unclear, contact your insurance company for answers.
Many insurance companies do not automatically reject owners of certain breeds, but may require letters from veterinarians, dog obedience certificates, or a home visit by an insurance agent. If your insurance company will not insure you because of the breed of dog you own, check with your insurance agent, who may know of another company that will insure you.
In addition, some companies may insure you but exclude the animal from the policy. In Massachusetts, if homeowners are denied coverage, insurance can be obtained through the state’s FAIR (Fair Access to Insurance Requirements) Plan, operated by the Massachusetts Insurance Property Underwriting Association. The FAIR Plan can be reached at Two Center Plaza, Boston, MA 02108-1904, (617) 723-3800 or (800) 392-6108, and at http://www.mpiua.com/.
A dog’s tendency to bite is a product of many factors, including: genetic predisposition to be aggressive, early socialization, training for obedience or fighting, and quality of care and supervision. Therefore, an inherently aggressive dog may present little or no risk of biting if the dog is well trained and responsibly supervised. A seemingly friendly dog with little genetic tendency to bite may become dangerous if it lacks socialization or supervision or if it is mistreated or provoked. Any dog, if subject to certain circumstances, can become dangerous.
In addition, a dog’s tendency to bite is affected by whether it is spayed or neutered. A study of medically attended dog bites in Denver, Colorado, suggests that male dogs are 6.2 times more likely to bite than female dogs; dogs that are unspayed/unneutered are 2.6 times more likely to bite than spayed/neutered dogs; and chained dogs are 2.8 times more likely to bite than unchained dogs.
It is imperative that dog owners be responsible. The best way to prevent the introduction of legislation or other policies that are often reactionary and are not in the best interest of dogs or the public is to set an example and demonstrate that properly trained dogs do not cause problems.
We know that due to the BSL (Breed Specific List) on some peoples homeowners insurance it restricts the breed you can own. We have recently partnered with Monique Reilly Cole from Liberty Mutual for anyone looking to make a change. We have had people change insurances and some even ask which ones don’t have a BSL.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.