Baypath Humane Society has been operating for over 40 years. Before they existed, Hopkinton's dog officer captured strays and brought them back to the pound. These poor, homeless dogs were kept for the required 5-day hold. If not claimed, tragically, they were sold to labs for experiments. In 1977 that all changed due to generous help from the public to build the shelter.
Baypath Humane Society works with the community to help reduce animal overpopulation in the area. They aim to help each animal in their care find its perfect forever home.
Baypath Humane Society has a dedicated team of volunteers, each of whom is a hands-on animal care provider. They get to know each of the animals personally. Although they have an adoption application procedure, they believe the most important part of the adoption process is having a conversation to hear about your needs, concerns, and lifestyle.
Their website features animals available for adoption, but they encourage you to visit the shelter in person, too. (You must +21 years old to adopt.) If you're adopting a dog and have other dogs at home, you can schedule a time to bring them through to sniff the dog you're hoping to adopt.
For any pets at home, please bring copies of their vet records or provide your veterinarian's contact details. After you've completed your application, they'll be in contact as soon as possible to finalize your adoption so you can take your new family member home!
Adoption fees at Baypath Humane Society are as follows:
Dogs
Cats
Your adoption fee covers spay or neuter surgery, core vaccinations, microchipping, deworming, flea and tick prevention, leukemia and FIV tests for cats, and heartworm testing for dogs.
Our writing team is hard at work researching this shelter's adoption process and fees, so this page will be updated soon!
In the meantime, here's some nice-to-know info that applies to nearly every animal shelter, humane society, and rescue.
Because shelter dogs are full of love!
Is it because they know you saved them and love you harder for it?
I can't say for certain, but yes.
Jokes aside, there are three things all shelter dogs need to thrive in their new home:
Older shelter dogs, generally 1+ years old, may have experienced a lot of trauma, which often results in one of 8 common behavioral issues:
These issues are correctable! Your dog isn't broken, they're just damaged. You can fix them with enough love, patience, and a good training plan.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, finding good dog trainers can be hard. Like everything else, dog training is moving only. but there are great online dog trainers that are proven to work and can help get your new pup on the right path.
You can learn a lot about an animal welfare organization just by looking at their name.
Adoption processes vary drastically from organization to organization, but here are some general tips that apply in most instances. Note that we'll use the term "shelters" here for simplicity but it includes all types of rescue organizations.
If you have any questions about adopting an animal (what you'll need, what to expect, etc.) feel free to contact the PetLists team!
If you're looking to adopt a new dog, our Dog Adoption Guide is a must-read. It has everything you need to know about bringing a shelter dog home:
And we're adding new guides all the time.