In the wake of Hurricane Florence, more than a dozen homeless pets have found refuge at a local shelter.
Ten cats and kittens and five dogs have been transported to the Heritage Humane Society in Williamsburg for medical care and future adoption, the shelter said in a news release.
Heritage staff picked the animals up Monday in Georgetown, Delaware, where they had been kept in an emergency setup.
The pets were not owned by residents in North Carolina, but instead were at shelters awaiting adoption. They were moved to make room for animals that may have been displaced from their homes after Hurricane Florence hit earlier this month.
“Immediately upon hearing the outcry for help, it was clear that we needed to take part,” said Kimberly Laska, Heritage Humane executive director. “We are proud to be working with area shelters to relieve the pressure of the abundance of misplaced pets in shelters affected by the storm. Their desperate calls for transport help was impossible to ignore. As soon as we received the call to assist, our team jumped into action to make this rescue possible.”
The cats and dogs taken in by Heritage Humane are from Fayetteville and Gilford, North Carolina, as well as other shelters near Asheville.
“What’s really cool about this whole situation is that our whole animal rescue community works in tandem together,” said Darci Vanderslik, a humane society spokeswoman.
Many of the pets appear to be healthy, and Vanderslik hopes most of them will be ready for adoption within a week.
“The amazing thing was that we got them and they were taken care of so amazingly by our partner shelters,” she said.
Vanderslik said the operation to rescue the animals displaced by the hurricane cost the Heritage Humane Society $2.550.52, which includes gas, tolls, spay and neuter surgery, staff time and medical attention.
The Heritage Humane Society is also accepting donations to buy supplies and care for the new animals. In post-emergency circumstances, financial donations can be the most helpful, Vanderslik said.
