FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - More than three dozen cats and dogs from Florida’s west coast have arrived to South Florida in search of a forever home, days after Hurricane Ian caused catastrophic damage to the region.
7News cameras captured a dog and her puppies moments after they arrived at the Humane Society of Broward County in Fort Lauderdale, Friday.
“The shelter [in Southwest Florida], Domestic Animal Services, had lost their power. They only had three staff that were able to get to work yesterday,” said Broward Humane Society spokesperson Cheri Wachter, “and they have approximately 300 cats and about 160 dogs.”
Wachter said that’s when the Broward Humane Society stepped up to help.
“The Humane Society of Broward County sent five of our staff there, including our medical director, to help clean and feed the animals, and Dr. Singh, our vet, is doing medical assessments on the animals that are there,” she said.
Humane Society staffers also brought several of the animals back to Fort Lauderdale with them.
“We were able to bring back about 25 cats and some dogs, I think about 13 dogs, incuding a mother dog with puppies,” said Wachter.
Other shelters around the country are also helping out.
“This is actually Buck. We named him after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers,” said Josh McQueen with Paws Humane Society in Georgia.
Paws Humane Society has rescued dozens of animals, including puppies, some of them just 3 days old when the storm hit.
“We were thankfully able to have the space to rescue up to 39 animals from the destructive path,” said McQueen.
Now, these shelters need the public’s help to lighten the load and give these animals a permanent home.
“Hopefully, in the next week or so, they’ll be available for adoption,” said Wachter.
For more information about adopting these animals from the Humane Society of Broward County, click here.
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