A former Patriots quarterback says he feels heartbroken after learning about the conditions that 60 Boxers lived in before the MSPCA took them in earlier this week from a property in Essex County.
A series of the dogs went up for adoption on Friday at MSPCA-Angell in Jamaica Plain, while more Boxers, at shelters in Methuen and Salem, will “soon” be ready to find their new homes, the agency posted on X.
“The property they came from allegedly had unsanitary and overcrowded conditions,” the agency described in a post on Wednesday. “Some of the Boxers are thin and many have acute medical issues that need to be addressed, like dental work.”
The situation isn’t sitting well with Brian Hoyer, who served as a backup to former Patriots quarterbacks Tom Brady, Cam Newton and Mac Jones. The 38-year-old, now a member of the Las Vegas Raiders and a Boxer lover himself, is counting on the dogs to be adopted as soon as possible.
“As the parent to 3 boxers, this broke my heart,” Hoyer said on X Friday morning. “I’m grateful to the @MspcaAngell for stepping up to take in these dogs. They are in great hands. Boxers are special dogs with unwavering loyalty and love. Please help if you can.”
MSPCA has said that the Boxers “range in age from newborns to seniors.” The pups underwent medical and behavioral evaluations on Wednesday, and the agency estimated that caring for all the dogs will cost more than $10,000.
In an X post on Thursday, MSPCA said its looking to “prioritize adopters who have a stable adult dog to help our new friends learn and feel reassured by the company.” The Boxers have no experience walking on a leash or “the outside world.”
“Their adopters will need to be able to provide a secure outdoor space at home that won’t rely on leash walks initially for their exercise and potty breaks,” the agency stated. “Most importantly, adopters need to be patient and dedicated as these pups learn things like house training, leash walking, and general dog life that they’ve been denied.”
Hoyer indicated he knows someone who may be interested in adopting one or some of the pooches: Barstool Sports founder and owner David Portnoy.
Portnoy, a Swampscott native, in February adopted a 6-year-old pit bull, affectionately named Miss Peaches. Portnoy has documented his relationship with his new best friend on social media.
“Hey @stoolpresidente does Miss Peaches need a brother?” Hoyer wrote at the end of his X post.
In 2017, Hoyer selected the MSCPA for the NFL’s My Cause My Cleats, a campaign that allows NFL players to customize their cleats and auction them off for charity. In 2022, the NFL journeyman and his family brought their adopted Boxer, Melvin, to the Angell Animal Medical Center after they noticed a lump on the dog’s neck.
