How long does it take for a vehicle to get HOT for a pet.

Dogs die every summer.

In minutes, your vehicle temperatures are deadly!

Summer is just around the corner, please leave your pet at home and not in a hot vehicle.

Is it illegal to leave your dog in a parked vehicle on a hot day?

The answer to this question, of course, depends on the state in which you live and the conditions that pose an imminent threat to the animal's health or safety. With new rescue laws, most require would-be rescuers to follow a number of steps. For instance, these laws may require that people first ensure the vehicle is locked and forcible entry is the only means to retrieve the animal. The person may be required to first call 911 or local enforcement before entering the vehicle. The law may require that a note is left indicating the safe location of the animal and that the person remain on scene until law enforcement or other first responders arrive.

Check the table of state laws that protect animals left in parked vehicles and what you can do to help.

Vote for the
Sterling Shelter and
show off your furry companion.

Please take a minute to VOTE for the Sterling Shelter, Inc. to be the TOP RATED MASS anmial shelter for the 3rd year in a row.

Post your happy ending story and a photo – we have to have over 90 reviews and we know we have plenty of amazing adopters out there! Show off your furry friend and help us win again in 2019!

Help us keep the TOP RATED award for 2019! GreatNonprofits 2019 Top-Rated Award, write a review of your experience with your adoption story or how we might have helped spay/neuter your pet in our low cost on-site vet clinic.

One fish,
Two fish,
Three fish,
Koi fish!

We are excited to announce our newest program! We’re not just saving furry friends, we are now helping our FINNED friends too!

Our Koi Fish Rescue & Adoption Services was established in May 2019. With the completion of our BEAUTIFUL NEW POND, we are now offering a new rescue and adoption program for our FINNED friends! We understand that there are many reasons someone might not be able to care for their Koi fish. As with many animals we rescue and adopt out, there comes a time when the most humane thing to do is let them find a better home, a home that can better care for them, and a place of safety and health.

Your finned friends will enjoy time exploring in our 80×50 foot pond. Over 65,000 gallons with multiple hiding areas, different depths, various water features with lights, fountains and bubblers. Currently we are ONLY accepting fish, once we have a decent number to choose from, we will be able to start adopting them out. Watch our Pets for Adoption page, we will list the fish waiting for adoption.

This enormous pond renovation took over two years to complete and covers a large area in front of the shelter in a figure “8.” We’ve started to add a few fish and hope to eventually add different breeds of fish including Koi fish and pond fishes. The project is constantly evolving and has been a huge work in progress while enjoying the peaceful space. Of course, we have all our brick donors. Visit the Path for Paws to find their very own engraved brick which will be a permanent fixture at our shelter for decades to come! The path winds around the pond and is closest to our shelters main driveway. It starts in the parking lot and wraps around to the pergola by the large bridge in the center of the pond.

The Path for Paws is a permanent memorial and life-saving idea to celebrate your special group, company, organization, or holiday, birthday, graduation, weddings, births, anniversaries; or just a great gift idea! This is also a wonderful, unique and heartfelt HOLIDAY gift for the long list of family, friends and colleagues on your list! Recognize your pet(s), honor a family member, and celebrate animals finding loving homes as well as all the programs the shelter has for both people and pets! If you haven't been to our shelter recently, we've got some big changes happening!

There are two brick options available:

• 4x8 are $100 – clip art can be placed on the left or right
• 8x8 are $200 - clip art can be placed on the top or bottom of the bricks

So become part of our shelters legacy TODAY - 2019 PATH FOR PAWS INFO.

To order your CUSTOMIZED Brick - simply print and return page 3 & 4 to:

• Fax - 978-422-8574,
• Mail to the shelter,
• Email to leigh13@ix.netcom.com, or
• Call the shelter at 978-422-8585 and ask for more information – or the staff can help you order over the phone

The shelter accepts checks made payable to ANIMAL SHELTER INC (please indicate PATH FOR PAWS in note section of check), cash or Visa/MasterCard (please add 3% if using credit cards).

Volunteer.
Foster.
Donate.

Life's a Dance

Check out the many ways you can help our shelter. We’re always in need of items to keep our pets happy, healthy and clean. Donate an item from our Amazon wishlist, become a volunteer or foster a pet.

Want to help the Shelter? Have you considered our Recurring Giving system. This convenient system allows you to automatically make a donation to the Sterling Shelter every month via credit card or checking account. This is an extremely powerful fundraising method that can allow the Shelter to save thousands of additional animals every year with a donation as small as $2.00 per month from you. Thank you for your support!