Outer Banks animal shelter needs help saving pets from floods during Hurricane Dorian
As Hurricane Dorian continues to threaten the Carolinas with strong winds and heavy rain, an animal shelter on North Carolina’s Outer Banks is asking for help protecting pets from the storm’s impacts.
The Outer Banks SPCA is trying to get as many pets into homes and out of the shelter as possible before Wednesday morning and is asking people to foster animals during the storm, it said on Facebook on Monday.
The state could start feeling the storm’s impacts by 8 a.m. Wednesday, and some coastal areas could get up to 15 inches of rain, the Charlotte Observer reported Monday.
“If you know the OBX SPCA, you know our facility floods in a rain storm,” the shelter wrote on Facebook. “Please consider opening your home to one or more of these shelter babies at least for a few days.”
Those who do foster pets from the shelter can bring the animals back when the storm is over, it said.
The shelter is also reminding those who are already fostering pets and pet owners to take their animals with them if they evacuate.
The shelter is located in Dare County, which issued evacuation orders and a state of emergency Monday.
Other areas of the state are under mandatory or voluntary evacuations while South Carolina’s coastal residents are under a mandatory evacuation.
For pet owners who are evacuating, the best option is to take your animals with you or to find arrangements for them as leaving them behind can cause them serious harm and get in the way of the efforts of emergency responders, the News & Observer reported.
Staying with family or friends outside of the storm’s path or finding a pet-friendly hotel is a good idea for evacuees with pets, according to the News & Observer. You can find pet-friendly hotels on this website.
For those without that ability, some shelters will also accept pets with immunization records, a leash and collar or carrier, the News & Observer reported.
Outer Banks SPCA said it does not have space to take in animals during the storm.
“Take your animals with you,” it wrote on Facebook.
The shelter is asking people to call if they are able to take in any animals for the storm.
In the comments of the post, the shelter says it has been inundated with calls and suggests those who have been unable to get through on the phone come to the shelter to pick up any animals they are able to foster.
This story was originally published September 3, 2019 at 1:11 PM with the headline "Outer Banks animal shelter needs help saving pets from floods during Hurricane Dorian."