Local News

Puppy abandoned near Boston cemetery finds new home

P.J. the 5-month-old pit bull puppy is now a Rhode Islander.

P.J., a pit bull puppy found abandoned near Mount Hope Cemetery last month, has been adopted by a Rhode Island family. MSPCA-Angell

By Morgan Rousseau

July 9, 2022

1 minute to read

A pit bull puppy that was sick and abandoned in a pet crate near Mount Hope Cemetery last month has found his new home in Rhode Island.

The 5-month-old dog, named P.J., was discovered on Walk Hill Street on June 15, then brought to Angell Animal Medical Center. According to the MSPCA, the white pit bull was emaciated and infected with parvovirus, a highly contagious and potentially deadly virus that can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and rapid dehydration.

Staff brought the puppy to the MSPCA-Nevins Farm in Methuen, where they nursed him back to health. Caregivers cured P.J. of the parvovirus, brought his weight up, and neutered him.

On Friday, his new family — a Rhode Island couple with two kids and another dog — picked him up from the facility and brought him home. The MSPCA said P.J. is “overjoyed” to be with his new owners.

UPDATE: PJ has found a new home! When PJ was brought to us, he was emaciated and sick with a potentially deadly virus. Now, he’s free of the virus and much healthier. He was neutered earlier this week before he went home with his new family 1/ pic.twitter.com/84KR2Nux6A
— MSPCA-Angell (@MspcaAngell) July 8, 2022

The MSPCA’s Law Enforcement department launched an investigation last month, after finding the abandoned dog. That case is still under investigation, but an MSPCA spokesperson said it underscores the importance of pet owners reaching out for help if they’re struggling to support their pets.

“The MSPCA has an array of support programs for people struggling to keep their pets at home, details of which can be found at mspca.org, as well as information on how to surrender an animal to the care of the MSPCA, free of judgment,” the spokesperson said.