3 minute read
Charleston Animal Society Called into Action
By DAN KROSSE
Tropical Storm Debby was one wild storm. It began in the Caribbean off Cuba, moved into the Gulf of Mexico, swept across Florida and back into the Atlantic, before turning her wrath on South Carolina with record-setting rains.
Oblivious to it all were the animals in shelters across South Carolina. But when Charleston Animal Society was called into action, dozens of animals were transported out of Debby’s path.
Between August 6th and August 26th, Charleston Animal Society conducted 10 emergency transport operations that moved 188 animals out of harm’s way. The majority of the animals were transported to partner shelters in Massachusetts and Illinois, with major assistance from Bissell Pet Foundation.
In one of the first transports 24 Dogs took a freedom ride from South Carolina to Massachusetts, as Tropical Storm Debby began pounding the Carolina coast with torrential rain.
Charleston Animal Society is teamed with MSPCA-Angell and the BISSELL Pet Foundation to make this transport possible.
“This evacuation came at a critical time for us and the Lowcountry. This gave us some breathing room to help other South Carolina shelters who were inundated with floodwaters that threatened the lives of animals,” said Charleston Animal Society Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Aldwin Roman.
Once they arrived in Massachusetts, the dogs were adopted after a statemandated 48-hour hold period.
“We have a natural disaster relief program, and we’re committed to jumping in to help, regardless of when these things strike, so when we heard about Debby, we knew we needed to immediately pivot,” said MSPCA-Angell Vice President of Animal Protection Mike Keiley.
CHARLESTON ANIMAL SOCIETY CARED FOR ANIMALS 24/7
Throughout Tropical Storm Debby, Charleston Animal Society sheltered more than 750 animals. Spay-neuter surgeries continued, while the foster and adoption teams were busy moving more animals into homes. The organization continued to operate critically overcapacity as the shelter itself only holds upward of 230 animals.
“While many entities in our area closed, we have a team of staff who stayed at the shelter providing 24/7 medical care and enrichment at night for the animals,” said Charleston Animal Society President and CEO Joe Elmore. “I couldn’t be more proud of our staff and volunteers who found ways to get here to provide lifesaving care to our community’s animals.”
A big thank you to Bissell Pet Foundation for providing amazing assistance by coordinating the transports.
