Saved from Hurricane Irma

Hurricane Harvey. And now Irma. Pets Alive staff, board members, and volunteers have worked tirelessly over the past two weeks since we rescued 20 dogs that came from animal shelters in the path of Hurricane Harvey. We are now faced with another massive animal relief effort in Florida and surrounding states as Hurricane Irma subsides – and our work has already begun.

Meet this cute 3-month old puppy

Last evening on Sunday, September 10, we took in six dogs – several  pictured here – that escaped the wrath of Irma’s anticipated flooding in the coastal area of South Carolina. We partnered again with Brother Wolf Animal Rescue of Ashville, NC, who evacuated nearly 30 dogs and cats from Horry County, South Carolina, ahead of the storm. This area on the inter-coastal waterway historically floods during major storms. It was critical that the Horry County Animal Care Center in Conway, South Carolina, clear their shelter in anticipation of having to take in family pets displaced by Hurricane Irma. Brother Wolf Animal Rescue and the Humane Society of Walden in Walden, NY also took in some of these animals on this transport from South Carolina.

Meet Otilia, 6 months old

We anticipate this is the “tip of the iceberg” on intake of animals from storm-ridden areas resulting from Hurricane Irma. Pets Alive will continue to work with Brother Wolf Animal Rescue and other animal welfare organizations that are ready to begin rescue efforts once it’s safe for humans to go into the areas affected by Hurricane Irma. There will be an extraordinary need for shelters in the northeast and other parts of the country to take in animals that are in shelters in areas affected by Irma – and eventually animals that find themselves homeless because families whose homes have been damaged can no longer care for them. 

Astro, saved from Hurricane Harvey, was adopted!

As we welcome these six dogs to Pets Alive, we are happy to tell you that at the time of this writing, four of the 20 dogs we rescued from Hurricane Harvey, like Astro pictured here, found their forever homes. Additionally six dogs are being treated for heartworm; Duchess, who has glaucoma, has to have her eyes removed this week; and all 20 dogs were spay/neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, dewormed, and treated for fleas. The “Harvey Dogs” continue to be given a lot of tender loving care by staff and volunteers until they too are adopted.