Hurricane Florence has ravaged parts of our country – leaving whole cities under water, homes destroyed, families left with nothing and people having to start completely over. But it isn’t just humans that are impacted by this natural catastrophe. For whatever reason, many of our four-legged friends were left behind, having to fend for themselves. Fortunately, many Good Samaritans have taken it upon themselves to save the animals left behind.
Here are a few of our favorite rescue stories:
Six Dogs Rescued from a Outside Cage
Rescued six dogs in Leland, NC, after the owner LEFT THEM locked in an outdoor cage that filled with flood water that was rapidly rising.
We got them out, but by the time we left, the water was so high that they would have drowned. BRING YOUR PETS WITH YOU! #HurricaneFlorence pic.twitter.com/tRibGxCjXy
— Marcus DiPaola (@marcusdipaola) September 16, 2018
Rescuer Ryan Nichols got to a pack of six dogs locked in an outdoor cage just in time in Leland, N.C. They were standing on their hind legs, barking and baying, as the water level rose rapidly inside their pen. Nichols waded through knee-deep water to unlatch the chain link door, and the frightened hounds bounded out, swimming to dry land. By the time the dogs finished eating the welcome bowls of food provided by him, the water level was so high inside the locked cage that the dogs would have drowned.
Related: An Inside Look on What It Is Really Like to Be an Animal Cruelty Investigator
A Woman on a Mission to Rescue a Friend’s Cats Ends Up Saving 18 Dogs
https://www.facebook.com/newsandobserver/posts/2253565971322996?__xts__[0]=68.ARBzsDRs5C-bySqGyDKk0lN0I_DtuOSfQzaTK6xPM9Q2q6VYZxpI4JUs4ufKWUCySDbd_CdhL-RiSw2sWE-1xK8CI2zkxU3LGdb9ihbC98ehEN2RpYknyE-Cf5tTHKMJA2cBKLbtPdb98_Wv3r55w9RZABlnPfwaPsQdhi5vpu9F-R0mUyyM7w&__tn__=-R
In Kinston, N.C., April Casey took a shortcut to save a friend’s cats but ran into a flooded road that blocked her path. When she got out of her car, she heard the barking and whimpering of dogs trapped inside a nearby house and in outdoor kennels. With the water rising quickly, she decided she couldn’t leave them behind. With the help of her family, a jet ski and some rescuers’ boats, Casey organized the rescue to save all 18 dogs. It took around 90 minutes to move the large group of dogs, soaked to the skin and shaking, to safety on dry ground.
Pastor Rescues Dogs and Cats in a Flooded Jacksonville Neighborhood
When Pastor Matthew Drake and two members of his church set out on a rescue mission, they were expecting to find humans. Instead, they pulled two dogs off a porch and into a boat, bringing them to dryer land. They then went back to rescue two cats, including one very frightened kitten that had jumped into the water. With the soaked animals safe, they went back to knocking on doors to see if anyone needed saving.
Related: Stray Dog Shows Up on Doorway Seeking Shelter From Hurricane Irma, Ends Up Finding New Home
Animal Lover in a School Bus Rescues 64 Cats and Dogs
https://www.facebook.com/tony.alsup.7/posts/2252096421487162?__xts__[0]=68.ARCa3Ezfd3CJZnEGW-RUfHTG55BCa-dpzJRV9ssoHjfk3jbfAuh8fiHfSYUyCkss2VHUFubaidkB82Fk2QPaptsJqpqGSxANxZ8UcPwzrWuMLo9qxJlW2iukjdW7ZkzPsLHL-pT0DsTtLLgTkNMuqOrCa3N5OycGkiR3U0bnJD75sivzyXbVNg&__tn__=-R
Tony Alsup first became involved in large-scale animal rescue during Hurricane Harvey last year, when he converted an old yellow school bus into an “Emergency Animal Rescue Shelter.” Last week, he loaded the bus with animal crates and headed into the storm to help clear animal shelters in its path. He arrived at The Saint Frances Animal Center in Georgetown, S.C. to rescue what he calls the “leftovers,” the dogs that no one wanted. After loading the bus, he ferried the group of very confused, very wet four-legged passengers to a shelter in Foley, Alabama, that was waiting for them to arrive. From there, they will be brought to shelters across the country and put up for adoption.
Related: 5 Heartwarming Stories of People Rescuing Dogs in the Aftermath of Hurricane Harvey
A Reporter for a Local News Station Pauses Live Broadcast to Help Rescue a Dog
Julie Wilson was in New Bern, N.C. recording a video for Facebook Live when she interrupted her report to help rescue a dog. A woman named Tasha was wading in knee-deep water toward her home where her child’s therapy dog was tied up by the door on what may have been a porch completely submerged in water. Tasha untied the Rottweiler, and holding on to her collar as the dog swam, Tasha realized the dog was injured. Wilson picked up the large dog and carried her to ground where the dog could stand. As Wilson began filming again, Tasha returned to her house to try and get her other dog out.
Van Breaks Down with 50 Pets Rescued from Florence, but the Community Comes Through
https://www.facebook.com/LuckyDogAnimalRescue/videos/305409543345751/?__xts__[0]=68.ARCb7kyMhhp3wzrHfpZy8_lDSCVnOBdITJTlb3GGPdfglHrKerEjx4xCvLDiM9e3DyoIRjeg1MVX5LjJLl51mAG0GuIS3uUaKbKtm3mIsxz3yEbTiJ68Ce4FnV9lwRNUWWBY1ik9fhRv5fi9cfWpoWtyg7_635C6-E12Oj0x6KLxLx8zqs-1&__tn__=-R
Lucky Dog Animal Rescue from Arlington, Virg. sent a van to a shelter partner in South Carolina, where they loaded up 50 pets as the rescue recruited fosters. With the pets loaded, the van headed back to the Washington D.C. area, but they didn’t make it; the driver managed to get the van to a gas station before it broke down. With the animals stranded in the heat without shelter or supplies, the rescue put out the word on social media, asking for locals to stop by with water, supplies and air-conditioned cars so the dogs and cats could get a break. Fifty-five kindhearted locals came to the rescue (of the rescue), using their cars as cool-down centers. On top of that, Looney’s K9 Rescue Transport sent over a van for the rescue to borrow — and many of locals who came to help the dogs chipped in to pay for the van’s repair.
The Coast Guard Picks up a Boat Full of Beagles
During operations in Delco, N.C., the Coast Guard rescued 10 beagles trapped in cages, struggling to keep their heads above water. The Guard’s also rescued the dogs’ owners who were trapped inside their trailer, which was filling with water. As the boat filled with the tail-wagging beagles, it began to resemble a comedy skit as the excited beagles jumped from boat to boat and into the water, causing the rescuers to scramble after them in chest-deep water. The humor continued when they rescued four pit bulls from a nearby property, and the dogs did a meet-and-greet and began to play. “We got a boat full of beagles,” laughed Tyler Elliott, one of the crew members, “This is the best day of my life!”
Related: Veteran and His Dog Saved From Massive Floods After Brother Finds Them on Twitter