A heartwarming story involving neighborhood dogs came out of Edgewater on Friday amid the tragic and catastrophic news that was breaking in the wake of Tropical Storm Ian.
As the hurricane raged outside, Volusia County Animal Services, the Southeast Volusia Humane Society, and the Halifax Humane Society worked up to rescue 71 cats and 19 dogs from the Edgewater Animal Shelter on Mango Tree Drive on Thursday evening.
Director of Volusia County Animal Services Adam Leath stated that the division had been in touch with the Edgewater shelter (as well as other county animal shelters) to keep an eye on its circumstance.
They mentioned the rising level of a nearby retention pond. They weren’t prepared for the pond to overflow three hours later, splashing over their front door and endangering the lives of the animals.
Rescue Operation
“We mobilized a team very quickly,” Leath said. “We had four large vehicles, as well as a box truck, and the staff to accompany them to rush immediately, remove and then safeguard, and provide safe housing for all of the animals that were removed.
“Nothing can be closer to the tip of the spear for animal welfare, for Volusia, than it was last night,” Leath said. “Seeing those pets in peril, seeing those shelter volunteers employees, who had done nothing but provide excellent care for these pets, suddenly found themselves in quite a dangerous situation.”
The division is “prepared” and “trained” for this eventuality, according to Leath, who noted that getting to the refuge over flooded roads, especially at nightfall, was the toughest obstacle.
“But when the moment happens, there is a huge flux of adrenaline,” Leath said. “We’re all quickly trained to get the resources — people were in the right place at the right time.”
He added: “To be able to see those pets bed down for the night, to able to get the resources that they need and know that they are on the road to recovery, there is nothing better.”
The canines went to the Halifax Humane Society’s Ormond Beach branch, while the cats went to the Southeast Volusia Humane Society in New Smyrna Beach.
There are numerous adoptable animals. Residents can contact the Southeast Volusia Humane Society at 386-428-9860 and the Halifax Humane Society at 386-274-4703 if they want to help these creatures.
Some pets are left behind
Some people, according to Leath, have chosen to leave their pets at home.
“Pets are priority here for Volusia,” Leath said. “I can’t imagine what it might be like for someone who is facing the decision to leave without their pets. We don’t want to see that happen. Unfortunately, there are individuals who made that decision.
Leath urged locals to contact animal services if they knew of neighbors who may have abandoned their pets, had abandoned their pets, or needed assistance for their animals.
“All of these things we can help with,” he said. “Provide resources, help shelter those pets in place, and that can be coordinated directly with our citizen information center.”
SOURCE: Yahoo! News
