BIRDSBORO, PENNSYLVANIA - Ripple effects of hurricane Dorian are reaching as far as Berks County, Pennsylvania where dozens of animals are being safely relocated and searching for their new fur-ever homes.
“One of the main focuses is for us to get them out of those areas so any displaced families or animals that are local throughout this storm now have a place to go in those current shelters,” says Deputy Director of the Animal Rescue League of Berks County, Elisabeth Manwiller, “The 300 to 400 animals in just the last 24 hours is just one operation working in one area. This is obviously throughout the entire coast that we were looking at; the help and efforts that needed to be done. You can’t do that unless you mobilize as a unit and you’re all working together as a team.”
As animal shelters up and down the east coast clear up space ahead of the storm, cats and dogs from storm affected areas are making their way to safety; including as many as 20 dogs and 15 cats coming to the Animal Rescue League of Berks County in Birdsboro, Pennsylvania.
“We took ten dogs and 13 cats yesterday, that’s just what was available that day,” Manwiller tells PBS39 News Tonight reporter K.C. Lopez, “And then we are going to circle around and see if we can go and pick up more once we get these guys processed and moved through our system.”
Best Friends, a nonprofit sanctuary for homeless animals, has been instrumental in helping evacuating animals from shelters in the Carolinas. Wednesday night, representatives from the Animal Rescue League’s shelter in Cumru township picked up animals from the Brandywine Valley SPCA; which has locations in Delaware and Pennsylvania.
“We sent a team of four vehicles down to Delaware to see what was there and pick out animals to bring up. Obviously, a bit of a journey so they went down there to help, thankfully. It took a bit of time and then they arrived back at our facility at about 11 o’clock last evening where we had another group of staff members helping to set them up and tuck them in for the night and feed them,” she explains, “It was a very, very long couple of days for them because they also flew from affected areas to Delaware and then from Delaware loading on another transport that took another three hours to come up here so they were actually all in really good spirits when they got here, definitely hungry. So once we got them tucked into their cages and kennel spaces we gave them their evening meal and then we kinda wanted them to have a nice moment and it was lights out and they got to sleep.”
The Brandywine Valley SPCA expects to receive up to 160 evacuated pets from the Charleston Animal Society in South Carolina. Elisabeth Manwiller, Deputy Director of the Animal Rescue League of Berks County says, while adoption is a great way to help, not every family is ready to take on another member and there are other ways to help.
“Supplies are big right now. With a massive influx to any area, supplies are always something that we forget about, but we run out of very quickly,” explains Manwiller, “Another great initiative if you can’t get supplies, if you can’t come out and adopt because not everyone is ready for another family member, donations, financial donations, supporting the cause in so many ways, monetary donations really do make a huge impact. It just allows us to get the support, get the extra kennel space, the vans, get the gas, get the travel time, be able to send people to far away places to be able to help out when there is a crisis at hand.”
But she says it’s important to know you can always come out for a visit! “Definitely coming out. Checking out the amazing animals we have on hand and thinking about you know that extra family member in your home. Start thinking about it now. We have some amazing animals ready for you to meet.”
Berks County Animal League Helps Relocate Animals Displaced By Hurricane
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The Animal Rescue League helps animals displaced by Dorian