By: Elizabeth Gibian & Alexandra Bowman
Research:
The ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) has been committed to finding and relocating hundreds of pets and animals that were abandoned or lost during the hurricane. According to the ASPCA, “our teams worked round-the-clock to provide much needed relief to shelters, pets and pet owners in impacted areas.” If animals could not be reunited with their owners, the organization worked to find temporary homes for them. While trying to keep these animals in North Carolina, it wasn’t easy to find space for them all, they resorted to a dozen animals being transported to Ohio, where they were being treated and taken care of in the meantime.
It was found that over 25,000 animals were impacted by the relief that the ASPCA provided. Not only did this organization make huge efforts to find and save these animals, but they also provided $3 million in hurricane relief to other organizations helping animals who have been affected by the storm. To continue their generous efforts, the article explains that the ASPCA ” distributed more than 389,900 pounds of pet food and cat litter, routed more than 660 calls through the animal assistance hotline and provided care to more than 150 animals through the emergency shelter.” This shows that the ASPCA went above and beyond in its efforts to help these animals.
As the hurricane has left its impact on the community, the organization continued to help by operating two facilities in Ashville, NC to continue to provide support and help. One of the most beneficial things the ASPCA has done throughout the hurricane and after has been providing time-stamped updates on their website. This has kept the public and community in the know with what they are doing and how others can help. They have shared stories about specific animals and their reunion stories with families, where animals are going, as well as photos and evidence to show that they are taking the time to devote all that they can to this process.
Personal Connection: Personally, as a volunteer at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) of Wake County, I witnessed the disaster relief executed by central North Carolina in response to Hurricane Helene. In my time volunteering for the past twelve years, the assistance provided for Western North Carolina has been the most significant impact I have been able to observe through the SPCA. I recall conversations from my mom, a lead volunteer, getting copious calls for us to consider fostering dogs to open up space within the shelter to house animals from shelters in Western North Carolina that were without power, surrounded by flooding, or lost refrigerated medicines and medical equipment following the Hurricane’s disaster. As a direct result, we became a foster family.
Planes flew and buses drove across the state to relocate dogs and cats found during the recovery of the Hurricane and were placed at the SPCA. Many of them needed immediate medical assistance or even surgeries. The SPCA was persistent with its efforts to fundraise and provide the help necessary to save these animals’ lives. Since then, many of the pets have been reconnected or adopted by new loving families. My family has fallen in love with fostering dogs since our first, Francesca, including the sweet foster, Tawny, that we have now. The efforts of the Wake County SPCA have outstood the impact of Hurricane Helene as it has since flown and recovered animals from other shelters across the country in similar disaster relief responses. You can follow the SPCA of Wake County’s Instagram (@SPCAOFWAKECOUNTY) for disaster relief updates or information for assisting to promote the health and well-being of animals in need.
Wesbite Used: https://www.aspca.org/news/aspca-deploys-assist-aftermath-hurricane-helene