A former Patriots quarterback has turned heartbreak into a forever home for two boxers that dealt with alleged “unsanitary and overcrowded conditions” before being surrendered to the MSPCA.
Brian Hoyer and his family have officially adopted a mother and baby from the litter of 60 dogs the MSPCA took in from an Essex County property in June, completing the process this week.
It took some time for the adoptions to be finalized. The Hoyers, though, are well familiar with the mother boxer, Coco, and the baby, Chanel, as they’ve fostered the dogs throughout the summer.
After learning about the squalid conditions the dozens of dogs endured at their previous property, Hoyer said he felt saddened.
“As the parent to 3 boxers, this broke my heart,” Hoyer said on X in June. “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.”
Hoyer, a backup to former Patriots quarterbacks Tom Brady, Cam Newton and Mac Jones, and his family visited the MSPCA’s Boston Adoption Center a day after he made the post.
During the trip, the 38-year-old NFL journeyman, now a free agent, donated to the MSPCA’s Pet Care Assistance Fund, which finances the medical care for homeless animals. They also decided to adopt one of the Boxer puppies.
“The puppy was too young to be officially adopted,” the MSPCA wrote in a release on Friday, “but the family was so excited about their new addition that they couldn’t wait to bring her home to introduce her to her two Boxer brothers.”
That prompted Mike Keiley, MSPCA-Angell’s vice president of animal protection, to ask the Hoyers if they were interested in fostering the mom while she raised her puppy.
“We said sure, if we’re going to adopt a puppy anyway, we might as well have her now and give her mom a good life,” Hoyer recalled in a release. It didn’t take long for the Hoyers to realize they wanted to keep the two together forever.
“Seeing the situation [the mother] came from and seeing her grow each and every day,” Hoyer said, “seeing her open up to become the dog she was meant to be is pretty awesome and gratifying.”
Coming from what the MSCPA described as “unsanitary and overcrowded conditions,” some of the 60 boxers were thin while many had “acute medical issues that (needed) to be addressed, like dental work,” the organization said in June.
Though Coco and Chanel have found a forever home with the Hoyers, some of the boxers are still waiting to be adopted.
The remaining dogs are available to adopt fee-free during an adoptathon continuing through Sunday at MSPCA’s four shelters – Boston, Methuen, Salem and Cape Cod – and Worcester Animal Rescue League, Dakin Humane Society in Springfield, Berkshire Humane Society in Pittsfield, and Thomas J. O’Connor Adoption Center in Springfield.
“Foster homes provide so much help for us,” Keiley said. “Not only do they free up space in our shelters, but they give the animals a loving home while they wait to find their adopters, and the humans that are fostering can experience the love and joy of a having pet, just like the Hoyers did.”
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.
“The reason we support MSPCA is that they do such a great job advocating for animals,” Hoyer said, “and being able to do that [foster an animal] for them if you’re able to is such a wonderful thing.”