Baypath Humane Society

A truly wonderful rescue. Baypath is devoted to helping dogs and cats that would otherwise not make it out of other shelters alive. They save lives, and bring people and animals together.
The shelter is in a lovely part of Mass. and we always enjoy going for a visit. The animals are well cared for and get lots of love from staff and volunteers.
Proud to support this excellent organization.

There aren’t a bunch of dogs here :(
Before you go, I definitely recommend checking their site. They only let you «bond» with a dog if you checked on the site for which one you want to see. There was only like 5 dogs there and 2 puppieS. It was a mainly cat shelter, and I was disappointed because we were all looking forwards to some much needed dog time

Awful. Avoid at all costs. Management is condescending, unorganized and dishonest.
Don’t be fooled by what they tell you. Don’t walk away from a dog if they ask for more records. There is no trust here.
We had an application in for a dog, our references checked out and when we got there to pick him up, another family was taking him home. These people will go behind your back in a heartbeat. Don’t let it be you!

My husband and I think the world of this place. They are so kind and caring to each and every animal in their facility. We have had nothing but amazing experiences with them. We adopted our first dog from them about 7 years ago and she recently past away. She was a big part of our family and without them we wouldn’t have ever had the honor of having her in our lives. Cleo was just the best.
A few days after her passing, we decided to return and immediately open up our home and hearts to another animal in need. We were introduced to our precious Maddie. We wish we could have taken every animal home with us. The adoption process went as smoothly as our previous one. I love how they check on every detail to make sure the animals are going into a well prepared and proper home. Through all of their hard work and dedication they are able to help families find their new addition and best friend.
Thank you for everything you do for us and your animals. You guys will always have our admiration and support!

I recently adopted a 2 year old Miniature Pinscher from Baypath. I had a great experience! We quickly fell in love with one of the dogs there and asked to begin the process of adopting. The staff sat with us and the dog and talked about him and what we needed. We filled out the application and came back two days later to pick him up (they would have let us take him same day but he was scheduled for a small surgery the next day)! They checked in with us a few weeks later to see how our new dog was doing.
If you plan on adopting a dog from here you will need proof that you are able to have a dog if you are renting an apartment and three references (make sure you pick people that will pick up when they call right then and there!).
Overall very friendly and great place.

After an extremely heart-​breaking experience at Sterling Animal Shelter, I visited Baypath Humane Society to see if any of the dogs looked like a match for my daughter and me. I didn’t bring my daughter at first because she had already gone through enough heartbreak. As soon as I arrived, a staffer greeted me and began a conversation that lasted about 30 minutes while at the same time showing me the dogs. When I zeroed in on an adorable doxy mix, the staffer readily gave me her background which included some information about a previous adoption and difficulty and their experience with her at the shelter. Her difficulties were things that I had experienced with in the past with a dog so I wasn’t concerned at all. I really appreciated the honesty with which they discussed this puppy with me. After walking her and playing with her, I decided I really wanted to apply for her. I filled out their application and they contacted my vet and references on the spot. After getting good comments from my references, they offered to stay open late so that I could go get my daughter and bring her back to meet the puppy. I did just that and it was love at first sight for my daughter. A final touch that was really so great for us and proves how caring this shelter is, they allowed me to put a $ 50 downpayment on her adoption and then come back the next day to pick her up. This gave us time to get our house ready and to buy the appropriate items we needed to make her homecoming successful.
Our dear, sweet puppy has been home almost a week now, has had none of the difficulties she had in the past, and is a wonderful addition to our family! Thank you Baypath!

We had the best experience at Baypath today. All of the staff were beyond helpful and friendly. It was obvious they cared about the dogs and Liz took the time to explain all of the paperwork and make sure were prepared and comfortable with our new buddy.
When sending off our pup, they provided dry and canned food, her toys, and a blanket she was accustomed to sleeping on so she’d feel more confident in new surroundings. It was such a thoughtful and kind gesture.
I have nothing but good things to say about baypath. These are people who genuinely care about their dogs and finding homes for them.

We recently adopted our 7 month old puppy from here in August and experienced a very smooth adoption process. After just coming from the Sterling Shelter, dogless, we arrived at Baypath a half hour before they officially opened. The staff welcomed us and encouraged us to meet and play with the dogs while they continued to prep for opening.
There was no pressure to adopt whatsoever. Luckily for us, we spent a good hour playing with our new pup and initiated the adoption process right away. The staff was extremely busy, but they found a way to accommodate all adoptees and adopters. The shelter does a good job with keeping in touch and we provide updates to them on how our adorable pup is doing.
You can tell that they genuinely care about the animals. Their website is always up to date with the new pet pictures and bios. They actually take the time to write bios for each pet! To further support that this place is awesome: during the snow storm last year, all the volunteers spent the night in the basement of the shelter to stay with the dogs and cats. I’ll only be adopting from Baypath from here on out and will recommend them to anyone that is looking for a forever pet!

I recently adopted a cat from Baypath and couldn’t be happier with the whole experience! Came there to look at their cats and was surprised how well the shelter is set up. They had dogs outside by the parking lot in fairly large fenced areas to run and play in. It was nice out, but I’m sure they have an indoor area for them as well. I was there for about an hour and a half and saw a few volunteers come and go to walk the dogs!
As I came up to the shelter an employee greeted me and offered me help. She showed me around and then let me walk around and explore the cats. Unlike other shelters I’ve been to, here they don’t follow you around but instead let you be one on one with the cats. There are two areas for the cats: One, is a room with a few cages (for new cats), their food, water and litter. The other area is outside through that room. It is fenced in and semi covered for some sun & shade. They have scratch posts, toys, boxes and shelves there for the cats to play with.
There were about 12 cats there at the time and I happened to find one that I loved. The employees answered all my questions and had me fill out an application which they did follow up on with my references. I said that I will come back the next day to pick Murphy up and they suggested what to bring and buy ahead of time. I came in the following day and they had Murphy ready to go with all his medical history /​paperwork. I had to sign a few forms, but the employees were extremely thorough and helpful. They even gave me his bed and and a sample of food (both wet and dry) that he’s been eating there, suggesting I mix it in with the new to make it an easy transition.
Murphy is a very sweet boy. He was scared the first day and did hide under the couch when he first came out of the carrier. However towards the evening he was already exploring around the house. He feels right at home now and I’m sure he’s happy — I am!
Baypath Humane Society made it an easy first experience for me! They seem to not only care a lot about the pets and their potential new owners but they also seem to like their job. I’ll be sure to recommend them to everyone and perhaps even use them again if /​when I’m ready for a dog. Good luck to all and happy adopting!

I have adopted two dogs from Baypath and could not be happier with both experiences! I highly recommend this shelter to anyone looking for a dog or a cat.
They are thorough in determining who is a good candidate for adoption and they seem to get to know the dogs there pretty well. They have a lot of dogs and a shelter environment is a lot different from a home environment, so it is impossible for them to predict how each and every dog will respond to going into a home. Additionally, a lot of the dogs are from out of state and are not with them for long before being adopted. But, I think they do a pretty great job. Beside the application process, they try to get to know their applicants to ensure they are the right fit for the dog they are applying for. When we adopted our last dog, they asked us tons of questions about why another dog now?, what are you expecting adding this dog to your little pack?, etc. I never felt like they were drilling us, but more conversing with us because they really wanted to know for the sake of the dog and their own piece of mind. They really love the dogs (and cats!) there and want the best for them. They staff is beyond friendly. We went to a handful of shelters when we were looking for the first dog we adopted from Baypath, but their staff were unfriendly or they didn’t have the right dog for us. Baypath was different. The staff are worked hard, but they always act like they have all the time in the world to talk to you and get to know you and your family.
The have a beautiful kennel set up — the outdoor enclosures where the dogs can play are spacious and stocked with toys. It is also really wonderful to see them trying to pair or group the dogs so that they are not lonely. Their cat enclosure is great too. They even have a huge pen in the back where you can introduce your dogs to the potential adopted pup. My dog Steve and his new sister, Dylan had a blast running around the big pen out back when they first met. We got to see how they played together to decide if they were a good fit. The staff even called to check up a few days later and see how everything was going with the new addition to the family! They were honest about her tendency towards same-​sex aggression, but we were willing to work with her through her dominance issues because we have a lot of experience with dogs and understand that shelter dogs sometimes come with baggage.
Overall two wonderful experiences with this shelter will definitely bring me back again in the future.
As for David — I agree that you were not doing the right thing by your dog. Dogs are pack animals and tearing him from his pack at a delicate stage of his life would be cruel. They were right to tell you such. If your dog is having mobility issues, see a veterinarian because it sounds like your friend was in pain — I don’t know what you expected from a shelter. Who would fund a retirement community for discarded senior dogs that most likely had underlying medical problems? Do you know what the vet bills would be like? Please do not get another dog — adopting a dog is committing to it for life.

We adopted our dog here last summer.
We love Luna so much and the shelter does a good job. They are no-​kill, which is always awesome considering how many animals are brought to shelters each year. They also accept out-​of-​state animals (which is how our doggie ended up there).
They staff was for the most part pretty helpful and gave us a little tour of the shelter and let us take out the dogs to walk and play with. It was raining when we went, and the dogs are kept outside, so keep that in mind. The cats also have an outdoor play area, which I think is a great touch!
Some of the staff were rude, but not to us. A girl brought in an injured kitten while we were completing our adoption process and I thought that the woman who was dealing with her was very cruel. The girl was really upset over her kitten and the woman kept saying how he would probably die and how she shouldn’t have let him get out. Now I understand that taking your animal to a shelter instead of a vet is not ideal but sometimes people just don’t know what they’re doing. She kept going on and on about how they couldn’t guarantee someone else wouldn’t adopt him before she could and how they wouldn’t hold him but it didn’t matter since he was probably a goner. The girl was just crying her eyes out. All around a bad scene.
Another thing that was less-​than-​ideal is that they didn’t seem to know about our girl at all. I realize that a shelter has a lot of animals cycling through but they got her energy level all wrong. Luckily we were prepared to handle a high-​energy dog but a lot of people would have returned her. Additionally, they neglected to tell us that she needed kennel cough medication until AFTER we had adopted her and driven her home (an hour trip!). We had specifically been avoiding adopting an ill animal and had in fact turned another dog down because of it (I know kennel cough isn’t that serious but it can cause lung problems later in life so we were trying to start out with a healthy animal). Again, it wasn’t the end of the world, but they seemed a little disorganized.
All in all though, I can’t complain. They’re a pretty much totally volunteer operation and they are no-​kill so they’re awesome in those regards. And we got a great dog. Just make sure you are very thorough in asking questions during the adoption process because your dog may have some things to consider that aren’t in their official files.

I lost my yellow lab last December and I finally felt that it was time to go in search of a new best friend. Since my last dog was a rescue, I wanted to adopt another from a local shelter. I found a 1yr old lab mix at Baypath who looked like he would be a good fit. They told me he’d been at the shelter for about a month and had been overlooked by others because he had some fear issues and he jumped. My family came along with me and the dog got along fine with everyone and our current elderly female dog.
We decided to take the dog home with us for a two week trial. The first day I had him he jumped up and bit a jogger who was passing us on our walk. The bite wasn’t bad and luckily the jogger was nice about it and she chose not to press charges. She also admitted that she shouldn’t have gotten so close to us because he was a strange dog. The dog was placed under a 10 day quarantine by animal control and it was just lifted today.
Over the next week and a half the dog became steadily more hyper and unmanageable. We’d go on long walks/​runs (avoiding everyone per order of the quarantine) and play ball in the backyard. Instead of getting tired, he’d get wound up like a top. He began pouncing on our elderly dog and it was driving her insane.
We also discovered that the dog had a strong dislike of small children and he became aggressive when any guests came into the house. He tried biting several family members even after he let them pet him and they’d fed him treats.
I felt bad, but I took him back to the shelter today. The staff was very nice and understanding. I was told by one of the workers that the dog was «one of our more aggressive dogs.» I just wish that they’d told me that before I had brought him home!
Despite all of this, I think Baypath is a great shelter and they really care about their animals. I know several other families that have adopted pets from the shelter and they are wonderful, loving animals. This particular dog just wasn’t the right fit for my family and needs someone who can try and help him overcome his issues.

@David — You are a real jerk and I can’t believe that you’d abandon your pet of 15 years to die on a «dog farm.» No wonder Baypath was angry with you when you called!

Last year my best friend a 15 year old Weimaraner’s health took a turn for the worse. Walking became a chore for him. He got to the point where he would just lay on his bed all day and I had to fight to get him outside. Like most dog owners I really cared for the dog and wanted his last year of life to be happy. He loved to be outside so having him stuck in the house all of the time was very painful for me.
In the past I have donated to the Baypath Humane folks when they hosted fund raisers to promote their healthy pets programs so I called them for possible options for me and my pet. I talked to a women over the phone and explained how much I care for my dog and was there any dog farms where he could spend his last days happy and outside with other dogs. Again… I was looking for options. Well the women over the phone bashed me saying how I did not care for my dog and was very rude in her tone to me. She questioned my intentions and even my loyalty to a friend I have had for 15 years.
She made me so angry that I returned a vulger response and finally hung up the phone. (I know .I know… I played myself and lost my cool.)
Once I cooled down and returned the call and told the women how I have supported them over the years with my hard earned money and now when I needed advice it was not there.
THEY WILL NEVER GET ANOTHER PENNY FROM ME OR MY FAMILY.
Beware of there people

My boyfriend recently adopted his dog from here, and they are amazing :-)
Boyfriend has wanted a dog for a while, and he said that right after he bought a house, one of the first things he would do is get a canine companion, and that’s exactly what he did. He also knew what kind of dog he wanted and stalked Petfinder and other sites for weeks on end to see if they had any dogs that he’d be interested in.
And then we met Alfred. Alfred originally came back in a Petfinder search and we saw that he was located at Baypath. The staff came in one morning and found poor Alfred tied to the front door :-(He is a young all-​white Boxer. Since they knew nothing about him, they brought him into the shelter, took care of him, sent him to the vet to get his exam and all his updated shots, neutered him, and then put him up on their website in hopes of finding him his forever home. My boyfriend read his profile on Baypath’s webpage and fell in love right away.
We drove out to Baypath a few days later and met him in person. He is the sweetest, most gentle and loving dog I’ve ever met. From the second they brought him out to see us (they had to keep him separate from the other dogs because he caught a mild case of kennel cough), he was licking our faces and enjoying his belly rubs. My boyfriend filled out an adoption application, and the whole time, Alfred was by his side. Staff members would walk by him and pet him and coo at him, and you can clearly tell that Alfred loved them very much. They told us as much as they could about Alfred, updated us on his health, and made plans for my boyfriend to pick him up the following week.
We were there on a Sunday, and the place was *insanely* busy. In addition to all the animals barking and playing with potential parents, there was a line of people waiting to fill out adoption applications, nice people coming by to drop off blankets, food, cupcakes, etc. The staff there was very patient and extremely helpful. You can tell by their interactions how much they loved the animals and how well they treated them. They took time with each client and didn’t try to rush anyone.
For anyone visiting the center, you can take any of the dogs there out for a walk (they’re located in a very woodsy area with no neighbors, so it’s a great spot for walking), or you can visit their cat room, which is essentially just that. It seems like they have a very quick turnaround for adopting, so if you see an animal on the website that you really like, you should stop by and see the animal ASAP! My absolute *favorite* thing about this shelter is that they’re a NO-​KILL shelter. That means that they try to find each and every single animal there a «forever» home. They feed their animals well, take care of them, walk the dogs, give them treats, etc. Most of the workers there are volunteers, and you can genuinely see the person/​animal bonding going on in there. Truly touching, even if you’re not an animal-​lover like me.
Long story short — he ended up adopting Alfred and it has been a few weeks already. Alfred has adjusted amazingly well. We can already tell that he used to have an owner because he is housebroken and knows a few commands, like «sit» and «paw» and «down.» He is incredibly intelligent and gentle for such a large dog and did I mention SWEET? We love him so much and are incredibly grateful to the staff at Baypath for having taken him in and taking such wonderful care of him. Thank you! :-)