x
Breaking News
More () »

Animal Rescues: San Diego Humane Society saving pets in the flood zone

Humans are not the only ones being affected in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. Rescuers have been working around the clock to save hundreds of pets from dangerous floodwaters.

SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8) – Humans are not the only ones being affected in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. Rescuers have been working around the clock to save hundreds of pets from dangerous floodwaters.

Nearly a dozen Beagles have been rescued by boats from the rising waters. The pups were among the hundreds rescued over the weekend by different organizations, including the U.S. Coast Guard.

The San Diego Humane Society also sent an experienced rescue team to the Carolinas. “You can’t ever get here quick enough. As soon as you get here, you hit the ground running,” Stg. Austin Seuferer.

The rising concern facing rescue teams are folks and pets who did not evacuate and are now faced with heavy flooding.

The vice-president of the animal rescue team for the Humane Society of the United States, Sára Varsa, said rescue teams are reporting “that the conditions are really alarming. They are driving through streets and with two minutes coming back. There is no longer access because the water is rising rapidly.”

Rescue teams have been working around the clock rescuing hundreds of dogs and cats and bringing them to the nearest shelter where it is safe. Animals will have to either wait to be reunited with their owners or if the owner cannot be located after exhausting all efforts, pets will be adopted.

“We don’t know the circumstance and I would just caution it could have been people who had their best interest but not the means and then found themselves in a life threatening situation,” said Varsa

One of the biggest challenges, according to Varsa, has been “seeing people in this situation in crisis and knowing they’ve lost everything and then the one thing they have is their animal it can really hurt your heart.”

Rescue teams are scheduled to remain in the Carolinas until next week, but Varsha said they’ll likely end up staying longer.

Before You Leave, Check This Out