As Tropical Storm Debby cuts through the Southeast, an animal protection organization in South Carolina is sending 24 of their dogs, a mixed group that includes terriers, labradors and other breeds, to Massachusetts for protection from the storm.
The dogs, ranging in age from five months to three years old, are being transported from the Charleston Animal Society (CAS) to the Northeast Animal Shelterin Salem, MSPCA Animal Care and Adoption Center (MSPCA-Angell) announced.
NEW: We’re bringing 24 dogs to the Northeast Animal Shelter from Charleston Animal Society in South Carolina just ahead of Tropical Storm Debby! The dogs range in age from 5 months to 3 years old. They’re on the road now and expected to arrive in Salem tomorrow morning 1/ pic.twitter.com/CfIqtreveF
— MSPCA-Angell (@MspcaAngell) August 6, 2024
“We have a natural disaster relief program, and we’re committed to jumping in to help, regardless of when these things strike, so when we heard about Debby, we knew we needed to immediately pivot,” Mike Keiley, Vice President of Animal Protection at MSPCA-Angell, said in a statement.
Debby has unleashed severe rain across the Southeast, leaving coastal regions in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas bracing for catastrophic flooding. The storm has damaged homes, caused sweeping power outages, and led to several fatalities.
As of Tuesday , the dogs were on the road and expected to arrive in Salem Wednesday morning, MSPCA-Angell said on X. The transport is sponsored by BISSELL Pet Foundation, a Michigan-based organization that supports and provides resources for animal welfare.
The rehousing will free up space in Charleston for dogs that are impacted by the storm or are living in parts of the state that are more likely to be hit by flooding, Keiley said.
“Some shelters in those areas house dogs outside, so it’s critically important that we’re able to free up indoor space for them, and this transport will do that,” he said.
Caring for the new arrivals will cost roughly $5,000, according to Keiley. Donations to help MSPCA-Angell meet these costs are accepted online.
Welcoming the dogs will also cause a “capacity crunch in our shelters,” Keiley said.
To do that, we’re hosting a special emergency fee-waived adoptathon for all dogs aged one and older, starting TOMORROW and running through Sunday at all of our shelters during open hours, which vary by location. More info may be found at https://t.co/1wUs8CON6D pic.twitter.com/Yw9IJn9kTz
— MSPCA-Angell (@MspcaAngell) August 6, 2024
To free up space, MSPCA-Angell is hosting a “special emergency adoptathon,” they said in a statement. The Boston, Nevins Farm, Cape Cod, and Northeast animal shelters will waive adoption fees for dogs that are at least 1-year-old from August 7 through August 11.
MSPCA-Angell’s usual adoption fees for dogs range from $350 to almost $600, according to their website.
“We’re tapping into our emergency foster network to help house them, but we really need to find permanent loving homes, and fast,” Keiley said.
The breed mixes of the 24 new arrivals include terriers, Labrador Retrievers, Great Pyrenees, and Belgian Malinois, MSPCA-Angell said. They will be available for adoption at MSPCA shelters after a 48-hour quarantine and necessary medical attention.
MSPCA-Angell also received 19 cats on Tuesday from Darlington Humane Society in Darlington, South Carolina, a non-profit organization for adoption and animal care.
Sabrina Lam can be reached at sabrina.lam@globe.com.
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