RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) – An urgent mission is underway to save animals from Helene’s devastation.
The Richmond SPCA is welcoming dozens of dogs and cats from two shelters in western North Carolina.
“I just felt restless, a little uneasy, unsettled,” Richmond SPCA volunteer Steve Kelley said.
After seeing the images of Helene’s wrath, Richmond SPCA volunteer Steve Kelley knew he had to do something.
“When you see footage of a cat or a dog on a roof or a horse up against a barn with rising water, that breaks your heart as well,” Kelley said.
So Kelley drove an empty van to the SPCA. It’s now loaded with supplies and headed for North Carolina.
“The plan is to take it down there, get it to where it needs to go. We’ve got a lot of pet food, pet carriers, crates, got people food, tons of water supplies and going to get it down there and just staying out of the way asking how I can help,” Kelley said.
But while the Richmond SPCA sends out relief, it’s also bringing in dogs and cats from shelters in the strike zone.
30 cats and 12 dogs just arrived from two shelters in western North Carolina. The dogs and cats will be in quarantine for now, but eventually, they’ll be up for adoption.
“We brought these pets into our care. It allows these families who are losing their homes, losing their space and their comfort areas, including their pets, are getting lost in these storms. So the emotional impact on that can be devastating as well,” Richmond SPCA’s Nicole Harrig said.
When it comes to disaster relief and animals, Harrig said the Richmond SPCA does its best to help.
“The love of a pet and an owner have is just unimaginable, and you can’t even measure that,” Harrig said.
Once these animals are ready to be adopted, which will take about 5 to 10 days, you’ll find their picture with a blue heart on richmondspca.org.
Copyright 2024 WWBT. All rights reserved.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
