Massachusetts
163 surrendered rats seek new homes in Massachusetts
Attention all non-traditional pet lovers! A non-profit organization in Massachusetts received a boatload of pet rats in need of new homes.Ā
An individual in northeastern Massachusetts surrendered 163 rats in early February. Thatās almost 60 percent more than the total number of rats that were adopted from the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals-Angell (MSPCA-Angell) in 2025 alone.Ā
āA well-meaning person got into a tough spot, and we were able to help,ā Mike Keiley, Vice President of the MSPCA-Angellās Animal Protection Division, said in a statement. āAs a humane law enforcement department, we want to work with people who love their animals to make sure those animals are getting the care they need.Sometimes that means helping with resources, other times it means facilitating a surrender, which was the case here.ā
MSPCA-Angell must have also found itself in need of a hand, because the sheer size of the rat surrender prompted the organization to request support from adopters as well as other animal welfare organizations. Ultimately, MSPCA-Angell kept 53 rats, increasing the total number of rats the organization is caring for to over 70, which is almost 75 percent of all the rats they adopted out last year.Ā
Massachusettsā Dakin Humane Society, Lowell Humane Society, Berkshire Humane Society, and the Animal Rescue League of Boston, and New Hampshire SPCA and the Animal Rescue League of New Hampshire also took in rats from the surrender.Ā
āTaking in so many of one kind of small animal or bird really taxes resources,ā Keiley said. āIt pulls our attention to accommodating one species when weāre caring for so many at the same time.This kind of surrender wouldnāt be possible without the amazing support weāve received from other sheltersāand weāre hoping we get a similar level of amazing support from the community!ā
MSPCA-Angellās plans to bring the rats to their four sheltersāBoston, Salem, Methuen, and Centervilleādespite the fact that the Salem location normally only hosts cats and dogs. This surrender was so big that the organization had to use every location.Ā
So if youāre looking for a pet ratāor just a small furry animalānow is your time. Keep an eye on the websites of MSPCA-Angell, Dakin Humane, Lowell Humane, Berkshire Humane, ARL Boston, NHSPCA, and ARL New Hampshire for information on where there are rats up for adoption, and stop by during open hours to adopt the next member of your family.Ā
āRats have a bad reputation, but they actually make really great companion pets,ā Keiley pointed out. āTheyāre smart and clean. They also form deep bonds with their owners,ā he continued. āWeāre hoping that rat loversāand anyone looking for a less conventional small petācomes out and gives these great animals the happy homes they deserve!ā
BOSTON (WWLP) ā The Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) announced Wednesday that it is distributing 5,063 internet-enabled devices to 45 organizations across the state.
The statewide effort, administered through the Connected and Online program, aims to expand economic opportunity by increasing digital access. This program is a $31.6 million initiative funded through the U.S. Treasuryās Capital Projects Fund that provides Massachusetts-based organizations with laptops, tablets, and desktop computers to help residents access the internet.
Equipment provided through the program also includes supportive items, such as braille keyboards, intended to assist vulnerable populations.
Both Gateway Cities and rural communities are supported by the Connected and Online program, as residents are provided with direct access to devices through lending programs or resources at publicly accessible locations.
āThe Connected and Online program opens doors for communities to access critical services and build relationships with their neighbors,ā said Governor Maura Healey. āBy partnering with trusted local organizations, weāre helping more people get online, access essential services, and connect to new educational and economic opportunities.ā
To date, the program has provided nearly 32,000 devices and more than 13,000 pieces of supportive equipment. These devices have been distributed to hospitals, municipalities, nonprofits, public libraries, elder and youth aid groups, and workforce training organizations across the Commonwealth.
This latest award announcement follows a prior distribution launched by MBI on April 2, which included nearly 27,000 devices to over 200 organizations across the state.
āMBIĀ is leveraging strong relationships with local and regional organizations toĀ deliverĀ digital devicesĀ forĀ Massachusetts residents,ā saidĀ MBI Program Executive Jody Jones. āThe Connected and OnlineĀ program isĀ aĀ statewideĀ effort to expand access, increase digital skillsĀ training, and,Ā at its core,Ā expand the abilityĀ toĀ connectĀ to the internet.āĀ
For a full list of awardees, visit broadband.mass.tech.org.
Local News Headlines
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WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Download the 22News Plus app on your TV to watch live-streaming newscasts and video on demand.
All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by WWLP. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformatĀ informationĀ into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by WWLPĀ staff before being published.
If you want to help people in poverty, donāt drive the wealthy out of state.
That might be something the state senators in the Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities should keep in mind after they advanced a sweeping bill going full bore at reducing the stateās poverty rate.
Sen. Sal DiDomenico told the State House News his proposal (S 3095) āis a compilation of many bills that have already been filed.ā According to his office, the bill, as originally filed, included provisions that would increase the Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children cash benefits for pregnant people, families and caregivers; increase Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled and Children cash benefits; codify related benefits and allowances; and bar the government from taking any amount of child support payments from low-income parents.
His office also said the bill would direct the state to replace Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program cash benefits āstolen by criminal rings through skimming or phishingā; ensure access to free menstrual products in public schools, homeless shelters, prisons and county jails; raise farmworker wages to at least the stateās minimum wage; establish a ābaby bonds programā; and āenhanceā the attorney generalās ability to āensure companies pay their employees the wages they deserve and hold employers accountable when they steal workersā wages.ā
Itās a tall order, and an impressive one. But the hurdle isnāt just getting it on the Senateās agenda before the July 31 deadline, itās how to pay for it.
The idea of front-loading assistance appears sound: helping people escape poverty means they wonāt need to rely on social services down the line. But it will still take a sustainable revenue source to keep it all going.
And Massachusetts has been shooting itself in the foot when it comes to keeping revenue inside state borders.
According to Moneywise, Massachusetts millionaires took $4.2 billion in income out of the state in 2023, new Internal Revenue Service data revealed.
As reported by Bloomberg, thatās an 8% increase from the year before, and it comes just as the state began enforcing a new 4% surtax on incomes above $1 million. Higher-income households are now accounting for a larger share of total departures from the state. In 2023, top earners accounted for roughly 70% of total income outflow. That doubles their share from just a few years earlier.
We need to keep them, and their tax payments, here.
But that wonāt happen if efforts to lower taxes are met with derision, and the notion that tax breaks only benefit the very rich. The deep-pocketed set thatās heading to tax-friendlier states are gifting their new home turf with a cumulative windfall, even if the individual tax amount is lower than the Bay State.
The same goes for companies who see better opportunities elsewhere.
The senators working on anti-poverty measures have some great ideas, and they should have a budget to implement them. Lifting people up from poverty uplifts the state.
But we canāt pay the bill if we keep driving out high-earning taxpayers. To help the poor, we must keep the rich.
Trombettaās Farm, at 655 Farm Rd., is listed as a Central Massachusetts stop on the Massachusetts Ice Cream Trail, a state-backed guide launched in 2024 to promote ice cream shops, farm stands, and dairy farms that use Massachusetts dairy products, according to GBH.
The trail features more than 100 destinations across Massachusetts and is managed by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources. The map includes dairy farms with ice cream stands, farms selling packaged ice cream, and shops selling Massachusetts ice cream products, according to the tourism office.
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