51-year-old Tony Alsup hopes to open his own animal shelter one day. Until that dream becomes a reality, he is doing everything in his power to help dogs and cats affected by natural disasters. It started when he learned about the overcrowding in Texas shelters after Hurricane Harvey. The truck driver from Greenback, Tennessee knew he had to help, but he could not transport animals in a semi-trailer. “I thought, well what can I do?” Alsup told the Washington Post. “I’ll just go buy a bus.” And the kind-hearted animal lover did just that! Alsup purchased an old yellow school bus for $3,200, removed the seats, and headed to Texas. Since then, he has been transporting pets out of disaster zones across the south. He even traveled to Puerto Rico to assist in animal rescue efforts after Hurricane Maria. To read more on this story, click here:Trucker Drives 64 Shelter Pets Out Of The Path Of Hurricane Florence
(AP) -- About 3.4 million chickens and turkeys and 5,500 hogs have been killed in flooding from Florence as rising North Carolina rivers swamped dozens of farm buildings where the animals were being raised for market, according to state officials. The N.C. Department of Agriculture issued the livestock mortality totals Tuesday, as major flooding is continuing after the slow-moving storm's drenching rains. Sixteen North Carolina rivers were at major flood stage Tuesday, with an additional three forecasted to peak by Thursday. The Department of Environmental Quality said the earthen dam at one hog lagoon in Duplin County had breached, spilling its contents. Another 25 of the pits containing animal feces and urine have either suffered structural damage, had wastewater levels go over their tops from heavy rains or had been swamped by floodwaters. Large mounds of manure are also typically stored at poultry farms. To read more on this story, click here:Florence's Flooding Kills 3.4 Million Poultry, 5,500 Hogs
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While many families were able to evacuate safely with their pets, many were left behind in their homes or at animal shelters. Florence was downgraded to a tropical storm late Friday, but heavy rains and life-threatening flooding are still drenching the Carolinas. Florence hasn't just affected humans. Hundreds of animals have been caught up in the deadly storm as well. While many people safely evacuated with their pets, other animals were left behind either at shelters or in homes. In North Carolina, hundreds of people stood in line to pick up foster dogs from coastal shelters for the weekend before the storm made landfall. Here's how you can get involved in the efforts to help animals affected by Florence. Adopt a new furry friend with waived fees Several shelters outside of the storm's path have already taken in animals from shelters that evacuated. Many of these shelters are now waiving or providing discounted adoption fees for the animals they rescued. To read more on this story, click here:How To Help Animals Affected By Florence
On Friday, dogs and cats in Jacksonville, North Carolina, were rescued from flooded homes and brought to safety. Live video showed dogs being removed from a boat in the flood waters of Hurricane Florence. Later, the same rescue team saved cats who were stranded near a flooded home. The hurricane made landfall just before 7:30 Friday morning Category 1 storm.
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Kevin Raffee had waited until nearly the last minute. His wife, Julie Lamacchia, had already left their seaside home in Wilmington, N.C. But on Wednesday morning, the “life-threatening” force of Hurricane Florence churned closer, and it was time to leave. So Raffee started packing the nine-foot moving van in the driveway — dubbed the “Fluffy Bus” — with what really counted: nearly two dozen cats and dogs the couple saved from possible euthanasia. For many pets that have been left behind or abandoned after their owners fled this coastal county and surrounding communities, the final days before the storm hits could mean life or death. [These cats and dogs were moved to safety as Hurricane Florence bears down on the East Coast] Local, government-run animal shelters were filling up fast, and in many jurisdictions, such as Pender County, shelters that hit capacity must “make space,” Jewel Horton, manager of Pender County Animal Shelter, told The Washington Post on Wednesday. To read more on this story, click here:Shelter in Hurricane’s Path Warns it Will Euthanize Animals if it Can’t Find People to Adopt Them
