Hundreds of dogs and cats rescued, many from shelters hit by Hurricane Ian

NAPLES, Fla. (WBBH) - The impact of Hurricane Ian also is impacting animal shelters.

The humane societies are teaming up, making sure the cats and dogs can get adopted.

In Collier County, planes are flying them out. They’re being shipped all over the Northeast to find forever homes.

Dogs arrived at the Humane Society of Naples after their rescue from areas impacted by... — Dogs arrived at the Humane Society of Naples after their rescue from areas impacted by Hurricane Ian.(Source: WBBH/CNN)

“I mean, there isn’t a question for us. This is what we do, and as soon as we were able to get out of our homes and back here, we staffed the shelter as much as we could alongside our other through the storm so that our animals here would be safe,” said Sarah Baeckler of the Humane Society of Naples.

“But we were hearing such devastating stories all over the area, so there wasn’t even a question. I just said, ‘Let’s do it,’” she said.

These animals at the humane society could have become victims of Hurricane Ian.

Instead, the shelter mobilized and rescued more than 400 dogs and cats from at-risk areas like Sarasota, Fort Myers and Fort Myers Beach.

Planes shipped in some of animals. Others from closer locations were trucked in.

This cat was among the more than 400 pets saved from shelters in areas of Florida impacted by... — This cat was among the more than 400 pets saved from shelters in areas of Florida impacted by Hurricane Ian last week.(Source: WBBH/CNN)

They will get treatment in Naples and eventually moved up and on to shelters with more room and more available families in the Northeast.

“I shudder to think. Sam and others, a bunch of others, came from Gulf Coast Humane Society, which was absolutely just catastrophic damage there in Fort Myers,” Baeckler said. “We also went to all of our rural shelter partners, tons of flooding. A lot of those shelters are outdoor only, so those animals were outside during the storm. And we just scramble to go get as many as we can and work with this incredible network in Florida of humane societies and throughout the country to get them safe and sound.”

The humane society is stockpiling supplies. They said they’re expecting another huge wave as people clean out their homes and decide whether or not they can take care of their pets.

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