Hurricane Idalia Rescue Dogs Arrive In Salem From Storm's Path

SALEM, MA — Nearly two dozen dogs from overcapacity shelters in South Carolina were on their way to Salem Wednesday night as part of a prearranged rescue transport ahead of Hurricane Idalia's expected path of destruction.

Hurricane Idalia made landfall with sustained 125 mph winds and 12 feet of storm surge in northern Florida on Wednesday morning and was expected to bring hurricane-force winds and up to 10 inches of rain to portions of South Carolina on Thursday.

MSPCA-Angell and the Northeast Animal Shelter planned in anticipation of the storm to bring 23 dogs north to Salem with the likelihood that more space will be needed for rescued and abandoned dogs in the following days.

"As the summer comes to a close, the urgent dog overpopulation crisis continues to grip our nation, and it's with heavy hearts that we share the ongoing struggle faced by our partners in the south," a MSPCA-Angell spokesperson said on Wednesday. "With the incoming natural disaster, the already precarious situation becomes even more dire. The areas that have been deeply affected by overpopulation now confront the grim reality of overcrowded kennels threatened by Hurricane Idalia."

One of the South Carolina dogs, named Jerry, was living in a pop-up kennel in the hallway to avoid the shelter staff having to make a euthanasia decision because of the overcrowding.

"Jerry is just one of the many dogs that had been living in a crate and the amazing staff at that shelter never stopped advocating for him — so now he's on his way to Massachusetts," the MSPCA-Angell spokesperson said. "The timing of this transport couldn't be more critical. Many parts of South Carolina are bracing themselves for the looming threat of the hurricane. Our team is standing by to offer emergency relocation assistance to our partners in South Carolina, Florida and other affected regions.

"We are near capacity ourselves, but we won’t say no to the animals and our partners who desperately need our help."

The dogs will be examined and serve a mandatory 48-hour quarantine before being made available for adoption.

MSPCA-Angell and the Northeast Animal Shelter are seeking donations to help provide shelter and care for these dogs and other rescued animals as they prepare for an anticipated influx in the upcoming days and weeks ahead.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)