Hurricane Florence hit the Carolinas with a vengeance and left a path of destruction in its wake. And many animals were displaced, injured, and sadly, killed as a result. But some animals were able to be rescued by several worthwhile organizations, that are on the ground in the devastated areas. And NPR has compiled a list of some of those animal and wildlife rescue organizations so you can help these victims.
Atlanta Humane Society — Staffers have worked with shelters on the Carolina coast, making arrangements to ensure that animals are out of harm’s way. They are currently accepting monetary donations, which will be matched until Sept. 30.
Coastal Animal Rescue — Coastal Animal Rescue is a no-kill shelter with a veterinary clinic that has taken in dozens of dogs and cats and given them treatment. “We took in as many as we possibly could, and some are still staying with us now because people can’t take them back,” said Barbara Cook, a volunteer at Coastal Animal Rescue.
Cook mentioned that some of the animals were pets that had been abandoned or left behind by their owners as the storm approached. But not all animals were able to get out of the path of the storm.
Pender County Animal Shelter — In Pender County, floodwaters have overtaken Interstate 40, and the animal shelter has been filling up fast. However, the shelter is required by law to euthanize animals if the number of animals coming in exceeds the space it has to hold them and it cannot find suitable relocation options for the animals.
Jewell Horton, the shelter manager, has said that she wants to avoid euthanizing animals and asked for help.
“Unfortunately right now, the infrastructure is so bad because of the storm that we can’t accept online payments,” she said.
Currently, the county is cut off by floodwaters, she said, but she asked people to mail donations, pet food, kennels and other supplies in the hopes that roads will reopen soon.
Other shelters helping animals affected by the storm are the Charleston Animal Society, which evacuated over 40 dogs from Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Brother Wolf Animal Rescue; the Greenville Humane Society, which has an Amazon wish list; and the Humane Society of Charlotte.
