“It was extraordinary” 😱
In the week leading up to Tropical Storm Debby, Dorchester Paws staff received increasingly urgent warnings from local emergency services. As the storm’s intensity grew, the looming threat of a flash flood put the shelter’s county at risk.
Facing the challenge of braving a potentially historic storm with hundreds of animals was daunting enough. But with their 52-year-old building situated directly in a flood zone, Dorchester Paws faced a tough decision.
“By 5 p.m. on Saturday evening, I informed our leadership team that we needed to evacuate,” Howard said.
The staff issued a call-to-action on Facebook, seeking temporary homes for the over 300 animals at the shelter. They were astonished by the community’s swift and overwhelming response.
“The moment we posted about the evacuation, the applications began pouring in,” Howard recalled. “By the time we started evacuating, we had 500 applications waiting. It was incredible—the line stretched down our lane and onto the highway for at least half a mile.”
Folks lined up and patiently waited as staff matched each animal with the best foster family. One tiny pup, Minnie, had a permanent home but was staying at Dorchester Paws temporarily while her mom was in the hospital. As the evacuation approached, Minnie’s mom grew concerned for her pup’s safety.
“She knew she wouldn’t be able to get Minnie out before the storm hit and asked us to ensure her sweet Minnie found a foster home,” Howard said. “We found a lady in line who was a perfect fit to care for Minnie during the storm. We informed her about Minnie’s situation, and the foster provided us with daily videos and updates, so her mom knew Minnie was safe and loved.”
But Minnie wasn’t the only pup to find an amazing foster home. Within just two days of posting their plea on social media, Dorchester Paws’ kennels were completely emptied, with every single pet finding a loving foster family to weather the storm with.
The staff at Dorchester Paws felt immense relief after successfully evacuating all the animals before the storm hit. Although the storm caused some damage and significant flooding to the property, the team quickly began the process of restoring it to working condition.
As the cleanup continued, adoption applications started pouring in.
“As of last night, 30 animals have become permanent members of their foster homes!” Howard reported. “We are still making calls and expect that number to keep growing.”
Now that the storm has passed, the remaining shelter pets are gradually returning to Dorchester Paws’ headquarters, though they’re eager to find forever families soon. In the meantime, they are cared for by an extraordinary group of caregivers who refuse to give up on them, no matter what.
“Dorchester Paws has the most amazing team of staff and volunteers who pour every ounce of love and care into the animals we receive, despite our current location and building conditions,” Howard said.