Dogs Stranded By Hurricane Harvey Coming To Bridgewater, Belle Mead

MADISON, NJ — Hurricane Harvey has left thousands of Texans displaced from their homes, and pets have been no different. Shelters in the Houston area have reached capacity, and multiple local animal shelters are taking in dozens of stranded animals to help find them new homes.

Local shelters include Madison-based St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center, Somerset Regional Animal Shelter in Bridgewater and Animal Alliance in Belle Mead.

Part of St. Hubert's Sister Shelter WayStation transportation program, the shelter will take in more than 100 shelter dogs on Tuesday. A total of 58 shelters in the region participate in the program to help address dogs left behind in their local shelters.

The dogs will fly in Morristown Municipal Airport, and are part of the first group of dogs to be flown from Texas to the northeast.

“In cases like this, moving pets who were already in the shelter system helps provide capacity for animals displaced by the storm and keeps them close to home,” said Heather Cammisa, President and CEO of St. Hubert’s said in a statement. “Our hearts are with the people and animals of Texas, and we and our partners will continue to help in the days, weeks and months to come.”

After the dogs have something to eat and a chance to stretch their legs, many will be moved to other shelters along the coast-- and all of them will be looking for homes.

According to the St. Hubert's website, the following shelters will be taking in dogs displaced by the hurricane:

• Animal Alliance in Belle Mead, NJ - animalalliancenj.org
• Animal Welfare Association in Voorhees, NJ - awanj.org
• Brandywine Valley SPCA in West Chester, PA - bvspca.org
• Delaware Humane Association in Wilmington, DE - delawarehumane.org
• Father John’s Animal House in Lafayette, NJ- fatherjohnsanimalhouse.org Humane Society for Greater Nashua in Nashua, NH - hsfn.org
• Monmouth County SPCA in Eatontown, NJ – monmouthcountyspca.org
• Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter in East Hanover, NJ - njshelter.org
• New Hampshire SPCA in Stratham, NH - nhspca.org
• Somerset Regional Animal Shelter in Bridgewater, NJ - srasnj.org
• SPCA Serving Erie County in West Seneca, NY - yourspca.org
• Toronto Humane Society in Toronto, Canada - torontohumanesociety.com
• Voorhees Animal Orphanage in Voorhees, NJ - vaonj.org

“HSUS is working to help the people and pets devastated by Hurricane Harvey. We could not do this life-saving work without our placement partners and our rescue partners on the ground, “ Kim Alboum, Shelter Outreach and Policy Engagement Director for St. Hubert's said in a statement. “These pets are incredibly lucky to get a second chance through St. Hubert’s and their WayStation partners.”

Sam Speights tries to hold back tears while holding his dogs and surveying the damage to his home in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017, in Rockport, Texas. Speights tried to stay in his home during the storm but had to move to other shelter after his home lost its roof and back wall. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)