Forty-two homeless cats and dogs from rural South Carolina arrived in D.C. Saturday, after being rescued from Hurricane Dorian.
Lucky Dog, a foster-based rescue organization, sent 11 volunteers to Florence County, South Carolina, before the storm to help prepare a shelter and to rescue the animals.
"We wanted to be there in case there was anything needed for the animals in that county, the county that Lucky Dog has been really committed to for the past seven years," Lucky Dog founder and executive director Mirah Horowitz told WTOP, while she was in the rescue van on the way back to D.C.
The animals evacuated out of South Carolina by Lucky Dog are a range of breeds and sizes. Some of the puppies are just 8 weeks old, and some of the kittens are as young as 11 weeks old.
All of the animals are available for adoption.
The team also rescued three dogs, which were living outside on short chains. Those dogs will be ready for adoption soon, Lucky Dog said in a news release.
"This is something that sadly we've become all too accustomed to this time of year," Horowitz said of her organization's post-hurricane rescue efforts.
All of the animals arriving in D.C. Saturday were available for adoption before the hurricane, but Horowitz said her organization is expecting the arrival of animals that had homes but either became lost or had to be given up by their owners after the storm.
"In the coming weeks, we will continue to receive animals that are in need of homes because of storms like Hurricane Dorian," Horowitz said.
Organizations transport animals that were already available for adoption from areas hit by storms to help clear shelters for animals that turn up in the wreckage after the storm passes, either because the animals were lost or given up.
"Sometimes they are separated because of the storm and the families want them back," Horowitz said. "And sometimes, quite honestly, the people decide they can't really care for a pet anymore because of whatever happened to them during the hurricane or the natural disaster."
Anyone interested in fostering, sponsoring or adopting a pet through Lucky Dog should email info@luckydoganimalrescue.org.
Pet of the Week is a weekly feature that highlights a pet available for adoption from D.C.’s Humane Rescue Alliance.
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