A local animal rescue group is heading south to help cats and dogs in Louisiana find homes in Chicago.
Four volunteers, a two-person veterinarian team and the founder of PAWS Chicago packed up two vans Wednesday for a 13-hour road trip to rescue animals after recent flooding in Louisiana.
The group plans to transport dozens of cats and dogs that have been living in southern Louisiana shelters since before the flood hit, according to PAWS. Relocating the animals to Chicago means more room at shelters to accommodate the influx of pets from the disaster-stricken areas.
Rain in Louisiana this month resulted in a state of emergency, with submerged land and vehicles, thousands of damaged homes and displaced residents, and a death toll of at least 13 people.
“With this level of destruction and homelessness, hundreds of animals are now in need of emergency housing,” PAWS said in a news release.
The rescued animals are expected to arrive by Friday morning at the PAWS Chicago Medical Center in Little Village, where they will get medical care, vaccinations, microchips, and spay and neuter surgeries. Once they get medical clearance, they will be available for adoption, and PAWS will be looking for foster homes and supplies to care for the animals.
PAWS has responded to other natural disasters, including Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when they made several trips to the devastated area of the Gulf Coast and took in more than 200 pets. The organization launched its disaster relief program in the aftermath and went on trips to help animals in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Quincy, Ill., after flooding in 2008, and in Oklahoma after tornadoes ripped through the area in 2013.
Twitter @lvivanco
