As Hurricane Dorian continues its march along the East Coast, disaster response groups are evacuating homeless dogs and cats from shelters in the path of the storm. Many are now up for adoption. PLEASE SEE BELOW TO LEARN HOW YOU CAN HELP!
On Tuesday, 191 cats and dogs were airlifted out of South Carolina to Delaware thanks to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Wings of Rescue, a volunteer pilot group. The animals were moved from shelters at risk of flooding, which also made space for local pets affected by the storm, the SPCA said.
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The Brandywine Valley SPCA branch in Delaware has been a central point for the rescue operations: On Wednesday, it received 122 animals from Jasper County, South Carolina, and 45 animals from the Outer Banks, North Carolina, via land transport from Best Friends Animal Society.
The animals are being taken to shelters across the Northeast and being prepared for adoption.
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The Humane Society of the United States has also coordinated several large animal evacuations. The organization airlifted about 80 cats and dogs out of three animal shelters in Florida and transported about 150 cats and dogs from two shelters in South Carolina, according to public information officer Kirsten Peek.
The animals were relocated to shelters in Michigan, North Carolina and the Chicago area.
In the Bahamas, where the death toll from Hurricane Dorian’s strike on the archipelago has risen to 20, several national and international organizations have teamed up to coordinate animal relief efforts, according to a post by the Bahamas Humane Society.
A shelter run by the Humane Society of Grand Bahama sustained severe damage, but at least 74 dogs and 77 cats survived the storm, the HSGB said in a Facebook post Thursday. They said in the post:
“Please pray for the animals and for the staff as 5 of the shelter workers lost their homes.“1
The shelter is continuing to pursue search efforts and reuniting animals with owners who boarded their pets at the shelter during the storm.
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Here’s how you can help:
Adopt
When you adopt a local pet or an animal evacuated from the hurricane zone, you’re not just giving your pet a new home, you’re also making room in the shelter for another animal. Dr. Dick Green, senior director of ASPCA Disaster Response said:
“We have amazing success in adopting out the animals that we transport out of affected areas. Communities across the country want to help people and pets impacted by devastating storms and, typically, we see animals get adopted more quickly in their new shelter than if they had stayed in their own community.”1
These U.S. shelters are housing animals evacuated from affected areas and preparing them for adoption:
- Animal Welfare Society in Kennebunk, Maine
- Anti-Cruelty Society in Chicago, Illinois
- ASPCA Adoption Center in New York City
- Berkshire Humane Society in Pittsfield, Massachusetts
- Brandywine Valley SPCA in New Castle, Delaware
- Felines and Canines in Chicago
- Greater Androscoggin Humane Society in Lewiston, Maine
- Green County Humane Society in Monroe, Wisconsin
- Humane Society of Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina
- Michigan Humane Society in Bingham Farms, Michigan
- PAWS Chicago in Chicago
- Safe Haven for Cats in Raleigh, North Carolina
- Second Chance Animal Shelter in East Brookfield, Massachussets
- SPCA of Wake County in Raleigh, North Carolina
- Toledo Area Humane Society in Toledo, Ohio
Abby Smith of the Chicago-based Felines & Canines adoption center said her first batch of cats arrived Thursday morning. She was expecting a second batch in the afternoon. Smith said:
“Come on over and help us help them. We do same-day adoptions and we’re open seven days a week!”1
Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone – humans and animals – affected by the hurricane.
