Press Release: 6/26/2025
MSPCA-Angell Partners with Worcester Animal Rescue League to Improve Shelter Operations and Outcomes for Animals in Need
Posted on Jun, 25, 2025 by Sara-Rose Brenner
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Worcester Animal Rescue League Allows Walk-In Adoptions for First Time in More Than Five Years
BOSTON, June 25, 2025 – The MSPCA-Angell is partnering with the Worcester Animal Rescue League (WARL) to strengthen the shelter’s operations and expand its impact, the organizations announced today.
The mentorship follows a recommendation in the fall of 2024 from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) that WARL pause animal intake in order to address issues with overcrowding, extended stays of dogs, and various facility violations.
“There are persistent challenges facing animal welfare right now,” explained Vice President of the MSPCA-Angell’s Animal Protection Division, Mike Keiley. “We’re dealing with widespread staffing shortages in shelters, clinics, and veterinary hospitals, not to mention a slowdown in adoptions—especially of larger dogs—that’s led to huge capacity problems.”
“WARL is the main resource for animals in need in the second largest city in Massachusetts, so it’s not hard to see how they ended up in this situation,” he added. “But together, we’re on the path for smoother operations, meaning we’ll be able to help more animals throughout Worcester County.”
Turning the Page
“Making the decision to pause animal intake was not easy, but it was necessary in order for us to reorganize in the hopes of creating a more sustainable and impactful future for both the animals in our care and the Worcester community,” said WARL Board Chair Warner Fletcher.
“The goal of this agreement with the MSPCA-Angell—and something that we’ve been working on together behind the scenes for months—is fully restructuring our operations.
Our Board of Directors acknowledges its ultimate responsibility for how we got into the situation we were in last fall, and we’re committed to making the changes needed ensure a safe and effective environment where animals, staff, and volunteers can thrive.”
“We know that it’s our responsibility to correct issues of the past and win back the trust of our community and supporters—and we will do that.”
WARL, with guidance from the MSPCA-Angell, is undergoing a full review and reorganization of its operations and board structure, including the introduction of term limits, clearly defined roles and responsibilities, and the onboarding of new board members.
“We are fully committed to building a better future for WARL—one that reflects our dedication to the animals in our care and the community we serve,” added Fletcher.
Vital Resource Reopens
As part of the mentorship, the MSPCA-Angell is helping WARL improve operations, define a clear capacity for care, reduce animal length of stay, and use the principles of socially conscious animal sheltering in decision making—something that is integral to the MSPCA-Angell.
“We believe in an adoption process that is welcoming, nonjudgmental and free of lengthy applications,” Keiley explained. “We’ve had success placing more animals into homes where they’ve flourished by breaking down some of those barriers to adoption, and we believe that—with some help—WARL will also have similar success.”
“A big piece of that success is letting the public in, but it’s not as easy as just unlocking a door,” he expounded. “Everyone at WARL has been working really hard for a long time to get to the point where they’re able to accommodate walk-in adoptions—and we’re there now, thanks to their dedication and commitment to animals.”
WARL re-opened for walk-in adoptions on June 23—just in time for the Massachusetts Animal Shelter Support (MASS) coalition’s first summer adoption event, Summer Ruff-Fresher, which is happening through Sunday, June 29.
Open hours at WARL will initially be Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from noon – 4:00 p.m. Any changes to those hours will be updated on worcesterarl.org.
Intake Incoming
Before the shutdown last fall, the primary way animals were coming into WARL’s care was through Worcester Animal Control, which would bring in strays officers found that were never claimed.
“In the past several months, local animal control has had to find other places for those animals, which is obviously suboptimal,” elaborated Keiley.
Under the expanded partnership, the MSPCA-Angell will help negotiate a new contract between WARL and Worcester Animal Control that Keiley says will better define roles and responsibilities.
“We’re hopeful that having clearer guidelines will foster a better working relationship that will result in a higher rate of reunification of stray animals with their families and more positive outcomes for those being rehomed.”
WARL is set to resume taking in stray animals from Animal Control in early July.
“Once that’s up and running, WARL will also be able to accept voluntary owner surrenders,” Keiley added. “We’re taking things slowly to ensure that everything runs smoothly and is sustainable, which is necessary for WARL to once again be the vital resource the community needs.”
Updates on that timeline will be shared by WARL and the MSPCA-Angell as they are available.