Hurricane Florence hit shores this past September bringing mass chaos and causing overcrowding. People struggled to get away safely and animals struggled to survive the harsh weather. Because of the storm’s massive size, many citizens and their pets lost their homes. Rescue workers and volunteers worked hard to save these animals from a horrible death. Saving these animals started out as an act of caring, but quickly turned into an act of heroism.

Overcrowded shelters turned into a big problem really fast. Government owners decided that if their shelters grew anymore crowded, they would need to euthanize many of the animals to make more room for the incoming pets.

Many shelters disliked this solution and managed to find enough people to adopt these pets. This provided more room for pets found during flooding or in storm-damaged areas. Some of these pets accompanied their owners while waiting for rescue. These people loved their pets so much that they refused to leave, and they stayed to protect their pets from this brutal storm.

This storm not only affected North Carolina, it also impacted animal shelters all around the United States. Animal shelters took in animals with nowhere else to go, because of their size or situation. For weeks, massive chaos rang in the shelters. Volunteers tried to find people to adopt pets, give pets back to owners, find the funds to support all of the animals and find room for even more animals.

Hurricane Florence is most certainly not the first hurricane to pose this problem, and will not be the last. Many other hurricanes that hit all around the world leave pets stranded and homeless. Shelters often need to shut down due to the fact that all shelters are required to take in every animal that comes through their doors. Bad situations turn worse when everyone turns their backs on pets, but on the other hand, bad situations improve when a person steps up and cares enough.

It took a lot of work for these animals to stay in a safe dry place, but many volunteers and employees agree that the result made each second worth it. Times like these have the potential to bring out the worst in our society, but often end up bringing out the best.