Animal Services rescues 71 cats, 19 dogs from Edgewater animal shelter during tropical storm
EDGEWATER — Amid the sad and devastating news emerging in the wake of Tropical Storm Ian, a happy story involving local pets came out of Edgewater on Friday.
Volusia County Animal Services, the Southeast Volusia Humane Society and the Halifax Humane Society teamed up on Thursday evening – as the storm raged outside – to evacuate 71 cats and 19 dogs from the Edgewater Animal Shelter on Mango Tree Drive.
Volusia County Animal Services Director Adam Leath said the division had been in contact with the Edgewater shelter (as it had with other animal shelters in the county) to monitor its situation.
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They reported that a nearby retention pond had been rising. What they didn’t see coming was that pond water overflowing three hours later, lapping over their front door, and putting the animals’ lives in danger.
Rescue operation
“We mobilized a team very quickly,” Leath said. “We had four large vehicles, as well as a box truck and the staff to accompany them to immediately rush, remove and then safeguard, provide safe housing for all of the animals that were removed.
“Nothing can be closer to the tip of the spear for animal welfare, for Volusia, than it was last night,” Leath said. “Seeing those pets in peril, seeing those shelter volunteers employees, who had done nothing but provide excellent care for these pets, suddenly found themselves in quite a dangerous situation.”
Leath said this was a situation that the division is “prepared” and “trained for.” Getting to the shelter, through flooded roads, especially at nightfall, was the biggest challenge, he added.
“But when the moment happens, there is a huge flux of adrenaline,” Leath said. “We’re all quickly trained to get the resources — people were in the right place at the right time.”
He added: “To be able to see those pets bed down for the night, to able to get the resources that they need and know that they are on the road to recovery, there is nothing better.”
The cats went to the Southeast Volusia Humane Society in New Smyrna Beach, while the dogs went to the Halifax Humane Society's Ormond Beach location.
Many of the pets are available for adoption. Residents interested in helping these animals can contact the Halifax Humane Society at 386-274-4703 and the Southeast Volusia Humane Society at 386-428-9860.
Some pets left behind
Leath said that some people have made the decision to leave pets behind.
“Pets are priority here for Volusia,” Leath said. “I can’t imagine what it might be like for someone who is facing the decision to leave without their pets. We don’t want to see that happen. Unfortunately, there are individuals who made that decision.”
Leath encouraged people who may have left pets behind, who know of neighbors who left their pets behind, and residents who might need resources for their pets to reach out to animal services.
“All of these things we can help with,” he said. “Provide resources, help shelter those pets in place, and that can be coordinated with our citizen information center directly.”
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: 90 animals rescued in Florida during Hurricane Ian
