Photo: Courtesy of Central Vermont Humane Society
BOSTON (WBZNewsRadio) — After catastrophic flooding in Vermont and Southern New York, some pets are in need of a new place to stay while recovery efforts are underway.
On Wednesday, Boston's MSPCA-Angell is taking on some pets getting ready to leave Vermont on an emergency evacuation flight to Bedford, Mass.
Nine dogs, 11 cats, and a Chinchilla are expected to land at 4:30 p.m. and will be sent to the MSPCA's adoption centers in Boston, Methuen, Salem, and Cape Cod. After a mandatory 48-hour quarantine, the animals will be up for adoption.
Photo: Courtesy of Central Vermont Humane Society
All of the animals being evacuated were already living in a shelter. Mike Keiley, director of adoption centers and programs at the MSPCA-Angell, said there is no possibility that someone's lost pet will have been sent to Massachusetts.
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Photo: Courtesy of Central Vermont Humane Society
"Never before has our disaster response program been more necessary, given this unfolding disaster in Vermont,” said Keiley. “Like nearly every other shelter in the country, [Central Vermont Humane Society] is already at capacity for dogs, making it essential to relocate those that we can.”
As the heavy flooding continues to impact Vermont, staff at Central Vermont Humane Society are struggling to get to work. At least one employee has been sleeping at the shelter to ensure the animals get the care they need.
Photo: Courtesy of Central Vermont Humane Society
Keiley anticipates that shelters in recovering areas are going to struggle to place animals into homes even after the storm passes.
“Obviously with devastation at this scale, residents’ priority will shift to repairing their homes and, in many cases, their lives. And shelters and rescue groups will need to focus on reunifying lost pets with their families,” he said. “This life-saving work would not be possible without support from our donors and I would ask everyone who is able to consider donating right away to ensure we have the resources necessary to be there for the animals who need us.”
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