Dogs Rescued from Flooded Carolina Regions Arrive at Waterford Connecticut Humane Society

NEWINGTON, CT — Nearly two dozen dogs from southern states devastated by Hurricane Matthew recently arrived at the Connecticut Humane Society, some needing medical treatment and all searching for loving homes.

The 23 canines, of all ages and breeds, received an initial assessment by a CHS veterinarian after traveling from North and South Carolina and will be scheduled for additional in-house veterinary care as needed, according to a release.

While five will require treatment for heartworm, a few others will receive medical attention for skin conditions, kennel cough and dental concerns, according to CHS Director of Operations Theresa Geary.

CHS will be accepting donations at cthumane.org toward the heartworm-positive pooches’ treatment; it typically takes multiple rounds of medicine over months to rid the parasites from a dog’s system.

Others won’t need such intensive care, and will receive the basics: vaccinations, spay or neuter, and some time in the grooming room, said CHS Executive Gordon G. Willard. When each newcomer has been medically cleared and is ready for adoption, he or she will be listed online at cthumane.org/adopt.

“It is essential and just plain humane to reach out to these animals and to our colleagues in these overwhelmed shelters,” Willard said. “We can provide the medical care the dogs require, and the good people of Connecticut will give them loving homes. During difficult times like this in the Carolinas as they struggle to recover, these dogs needed our help and a way into a new home.”

The dogs had previously been housed in Lancaster and Marion county municipal animal shelters in South Carolina and at a nonprofit rescue in Scotland county, North Carolina, but those facilities must now provide space for family pets separated from their owners in the floods. Families were forced to leave pets behind during evacuations for the hurricane and subsequent flooding, and rapid response teams have since rescued those animals.

North Carolina-based animal rescue nonprofit Brother Wolf partnered with CHS to transport the animals to Connecticut and has been involved in hurricane- and flood-related rescue efforts in the south over the past few weeks.

On arrival day, Brother Wolf organizers and CHS staff and volunteers welcomed retrievers, hounds, boxer mixes and an assortment of other southern dogs to Connecticut, giving them time to bask in the sunshine while exploring a grassy area outside the shelter building and waiting for a turn with a CHS vet.

While some were feeling confident enough for belly-rubs and a trot on the lawn, others were on the shyer side, seeming a bit nervous as they took in their new surroundings.

“Some of these dogs were in buildings that became flooded, and many are confused about what’s been happening to them. All shelter pets need patience, understanding and time to adapt, but these may need a bit more,” Geary added. “As we do with all adoptions, we’ll meet with interested families and talk with them about what they’re looking for and what an animal’s needs are to find the best fit for all of them.”

Anyone interested in adopting one of the Carolina dogs or any other animals at CHS should continue checking cthumane.org/adopt for information on available pets and visit the three CHS shelters in Newington, Waterford and Westport.

“These dogs are going to make great pets,” Geary said. “They deserve the opportunity to go home with a family, and we know people are just going to fall in love with them.”

The Connecticut Humane Society is the leading resource in the state for companion animal welfare, enriching the lives of families and communities through adoption services, medical care, education and prevention of cruelty. The organization does not euthanize for time, space, breed or age.

To learn more about the Connecticut Humane Society, please visit www.cthumane.org.

Image via Connecticut Humane Society Facebook page.