If you are a pet owner, chances are that you struggle with storms.
A lot of our furry friends tend to get a little spooked when they hear some angry clouds. Luckily, since they have their brave hoomans to protect them, they calm down pretty quickly.
However, what about those animals in the shelter? Shelters can house up to a couple of hundred pups at once while being significantly understaffed. This means that a lot of pups are forced to face their fears all on their own.
When Tropical Storm Debby was announced, the South Carolina shelter, Dorchester Paws, had no idea how they would handle the whole thing. But, what they forgot to take into consideration was how loving their community was.
Calm Before The Storm
At first, the South Carolina shelter thought they were going to be okay, but as the storm started to intensify, they realized that they were facing a major flood.
And, since they were in the middle of the flood zone, the staff had to make the most difficult decision.
“By 5 p.m. on Saturday evening, I alerted our leadership team that we needed to evacuate,” Howard told The Dodo.
Thus, the desperate staff posted a call to action on their Facebook page, hoping that kind hoomans would step up and take all of the 300 helpless pets as their fosters. Not even minutes after they posted the news, their inbox started getting flooded with messages.
“The moment we posted on Facebook that we would be evacuating, the applications started rolling in. By the time we began evacuations, we had 500 applications waiting. It was extraordinary. The line was all the way down our lane and out onto the highway for at least [half] a mile,” Howard said.
The entire community gathered in front of the South Carolina shelter, eagerly waiting for their furry foster.
What Happened To Minnie
One pup in particular, a tiny girl named Minnie, already had a forever home. However, after her mom ended up in the hospital, Minnie was handed over to Dorchester Paws until her hooman regained her health.
But not to worry, the staff knew exactly what to do.
“She knew she wasn’t going to make it out before the storm hit and asked us to make sure her sweet Minnie made it to a foster home. We had a lady in line who was the perfect fit to watch over Minnie for the storm, and we made her aware of Minnie’s situation. The foster sent us videos and updates every day, so her mom knew she was being loved and safe,” Howard said.
Minny wasn’t the only one who found a loving hooman to wait out the storm with. Just two days after their post, every single kennel at Dorchester Paws was completely empty.
The staff members were completely blown away by the kindness of their community.
But Wait, It Gets Better
As soon as the storm cleared, the determined hoomans began restoring the property so that they could welcome back their furry friends.
However, things didn’t really go according to plan.
“As of last night, we have had 30 animals become permanent members of their foster homes! We are still making calls and expect that number to continue to grow,” Howard said.
As for the animals who did end up returning to the South Carolina shelter, they are receiving the best treatment ever. I am sure that with time, each and every one of them will find a loving forever family who will care for them just like they desire.
“Dorchester Paws has the most amazing team of staff and volunteers that pours every ounce of love and care into the animals we receive, despite the current location and building we’re in,” Howard concluded.
