Good morning, Hopkinton! Welcome to the daily update we call Hopkinton Today — a quick recap of yesterday’s news, highlights of what’s on tap, and a photo of the day.

Shelter finalizes last adoptions for rescued cruelty case dogs

Dogs Junie B. Jones (left) and Amelia Bedelia finally were adopted after being rescued from a cruelty case in Wrentham last year. PHOTO/BAYPATH HUMANE SOCIETY

The last of 15 dogs taken in by Baypath Humane Society last year from a cruelty case now have found homes, according to the shelter.

Junie B. Jones and Amelia Bedelia — a German shepherd and husky, respectively — were the final two dogs out of a cohort of 15 that arrived to Baypath in June 2024. The shelter was forced to hold the dogs until May of this year, when a plea deal from the former owner allowed it to put the dogs up for adoption.

Madison Berthold, Baypath’s marketing coordinator, said the two dogs recently were adopted together by a couple who are local to the region.

“We’re so happy … they found a home together,” said Berthold.

Junie and Amelia were the youngest of the dogs taken in from the hoarding situation. When the Independent last spoke with Berthold, she noted that the animals still were dealing with socialization issues.

Berthold noted that Baypath will provide Junie and Amelia’s new owners support through the transition.

From start to finish, it took Baypath seven months to get all the dogs adopted — a feat that Berthold admitted is difficult given the current state of pet adoption. “Everybody’s not adopting [right now],” she said.

“It’s really hard to adopt out a very well-behaved [Labrador], not to mention a shepherd that’s never been in a home before,” she added.

According to Berthold, the rest of the adopted dogs are doing well. She recounted the story of Muffet, who was known for exhibiting spinning behavior when she was rescued. Now, she has shown signs of improvement under the care a Baypath volunteer. More stories about the dogs can be found on the shelter’s website.

— NICK SCHOFIELD

Latest News

A shelter-in-place order at the 77 West Main Street shopping plaza was issued briefly on Monday following reports of an individual wearing a gas mask, which the suspect later indicated he was wearing “for physical training purposes.”

At its meeting Monday night, the Zoning Advisory Committee weighed new options for bringing the town fully into compliance with the MBTA Communities Act zoning requirements.

The Board of Health on Monday discussed whether it would recommend a change to the town charter changing its size from three to five members.

This week’s Senior Snippets features information on a winter art auction, a listening session with Hopkinton Public Schools Superintendent Evan Bishop and a program on fashion during the time of Jane Austen.

The Hopkinton Trails Club will host a guided walk at Highland Park/Saddle Hill on Saturday.

Town meetings tonight include the Water-Sewer Advisory Board (5), Capital Improvement Committee (6), Marathon Committee (6:30), Board of Appeals (7) and Charter Review Committee (7).

Photo of the Day

A goat takes a break from snacking Monday afternoon in a yard off Main Street.

PHOTO/JERRY SPAR