This summer, Boston Animal Control made a heartbreaking discovery in the Geneva Avenue area of Dorchester: three golden retriever puppies, all less than six months old, had been abandoned and were suffering from parvovirus, a highly contagious and often deadly disease. Without treatment, parvo can kill a puppy within 48 hours.

The puppies were rushed into care. Two of them spent nearly a week in intensive treatment at MSPCA-Angell’s hospital before they were stable enough to move into foster homes. The third, nicknamed “Big Red,” was the sickest of the group. Against all odds, he survived and is now preparing for adoption. No one has stepped forward to claim the dogs, and given the circumstances, animal welfare officials believe they were deliberately abandoned.

Golden retrievers are one of the most popular and sought-after breeds in Massachusetts. The fact that three purebred puppies were left to die on the streets of Boston shows just how severe our animal welfare crisis has become. Abandonment is not only cruel—it also spreads preventable diseases like parvo, which endanger pets across our community.

This case is a wake-up call. We cannot allow puppy dumping to continue in Boston or anywhere in Massachusetts. Stronger laws, stricter penalties, and better education about vaccination are urgently needed. Parvo is preventable through routine vaccines, yet these puppies nearly died because someone failed to protect and care for them.

We demand that the Massachusetts Legislature, the Boston City Council, and the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) take immediate action to strengthen anti-abandonment laws, fund vaccination programs, and expand enforcement so that no more puppies are left to die.

The abandoned Dorchester golden retrievers are lucky to be alive. But without change, the next abandoned litter may not survive.

Add your name to demand justice for these puppies and stronger protections to end dumping and prevent deadly parvo in Boston.