FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Dozens of dogs and cats that were evacuated from Louisiana have been brought safely to South Florida.
The animals came from four shelters in southern Louisiana that are at risk of being damaged due to Hurricane Ida, so staff members reached out to the people at the Humane Society of Broward County for help.
The humane society had some available space and a high adoption rate, so they agreed to take the animals.
They arrived Sunday morning in Fort Lauderdale after a long drive in an RV.
“I knew that these dogs were really in danger,” said Loving Friends Transport driver Laura Taylor. “It seemed like when they got on the truck, they almost knew they were rescued.”
Staff unloaded 36 dogs and 12 cats at the Humane Society of Broward County on Griffin Road.
The drive was supposed to be 12 hours, but it ended up being 17 hours because traffic was horrible due to many other people evacuating Louisiana at the same time.
“We were stuck in traffic for at least six and a half hours to Pensacola, so it was stop and go the whole entire way,” said Taylor.
About 10 minutes into the trip, Pepper, one of the dogs being evacuated, decided to chew her way through her cage, so Taylor allowed her to ride shotgun for an hour and a half until putting her back into a new cage.
“By taking these animals, it gives a little relief to the staff and volunteers that operate these shelters, so they don’t have to worry about so many animals and they can prepare their homes as well,” said Cherie Watcher, Vice President of Marketing for the Humane Society of Broward County.
The animals will be spayed, neutered, dewormed, vaccinated, and microchipped before they find a loving home.
“Because the South Florida community has always stepped up and helped in situations like this, we know that these animals are going to get adopted very quickly,” Watcher said.
The animals should be available for adoption in the next two to five days.