Our mission is to decrease the number of adoptable cats and dogs who are euthanized daily in shelters.  We focus on prioritizing shelters in the North East and partner with local animal control.  We are committed to helping one local shelter pet at a time and placing them responsibly.

Big Hair Animal Rescue (BHAR) is a volunteer run 501c3 rescue located in Central Massachusetts. We were founded in April, 2015 and are a home based foster to adopt program. BHAR is a 501c3 non-profit corporation dedicated to saving the lives of homeless pets and a registered Massachusetts public charity.

We recognize that all of the animals in our care have been failed previously. Some even have a long history and pattern of failed placements. Due to this we prioritize getting to know our dogs prior to placing them responsibly in the community.  All of our cats and dogs are medically and behaviorally evaluated and temperament tested to ensure responsible placements moving forward. Our goal and definition of a successful adoption is the permanent placement/ home for the rest of our dogs or cat's life.  The evaluation process and time spent in the rescue prior to adoption allows us to determine whether or not our dogs are suitable to live with other dogs, cats, and/or children.  Through this process we identify a dog's strengths, weaknesses as well as their strongest needs- which is often structured daily exercise. In addition to this we test for food aggression, resource guarding,  reactivity, and separation anxiety. We work with adopters weeks, months even years after adoptions to ensure successful placements and to offer as much support as necessary.