Local News

South Coast police take possession of 15 pit bulls

Twelve puppies were among the dogs surrendered to the department.

February 24, 2025

1 minute to read

A South Coast community rallied to provide supplies last week after 15 pit bulls, including 12 puppies, were surrendered to the local police department.

Fairhaven police said the department’s animal control officer got a call on Friday morning from a resident saying they were being evicted and needed to have their dogs removed to new homes.

The three adult dogs and dozen 10-week-old pups were removed by the police department and initially all boarded at Fairhaven Animal Shelter, according to police. Six of the puppies will be taken to Forever Paws for fostering, but police said the remaining dogs will stay at the Fairhaven shelter until they are old enough, properly vaccinated, and deemed ready for adoption.

Some of the dogs may soon be available for adoption, according to the department.

Police said the community “stepped up immediately” to provide hundreds of pounds of food and supplies in response to the department’s call for assistance.

“If you haven’t already ordered anything, please wait a little longer to make a donation for our puppies,” Lt. Timothy F. Souza, the department’s public information officer, said in a statement. “The amount of provisions our community has provided is staggering. We are grateful to our residents for their kind support.”