Americans Go into the Storm to Help Save Abandoned Animals

With Hurricane Florence bearing down on the east coast, Americans were rightly concerned for the possible cost in human life.  What most didn’t consider was what this storm would do to the abandoned animals left by worried, evacuees.

The Washington Post has a heartwarming story about a fifty one year old Tony Alsup, a trucker who packed up and headed toward the storm in order to rescue as many of these creatures as possible.

The Washington Post reports:

Inside the bus, the seats have been ripped out to make room for its passengers. On the bus’s side are the words “EMERGENCY ANIMAL RESCUE SHELTER.” But it could have said “Noah’s Ark.”

In the last week, Alsup and his bus have rescued 53 dogs and 11 cats from South Carolina shelters that were in Florence’s treacherous path…

Alsup actually bought the old bus and took out the seats to make room. “I’m like, look, these are lives too.  Animals  — especially shelter pets — they always have to take the back seat of the bus. But I’ll give them their own bus. If I have to I’ll pay for all the fuel, or even a boat, to get these dogs out of there.”

You gotta love that Tennessee trucker. But he’s not alone.  This week, I also heard the story of  a North Carolina woman who, with the help of family and friends, saved 18 dogs from floodwaters.  April Casey, who lives in Seven Springs, went to help a friend rescue cats when she heard barking and whimpering coming from a road in Kinston.

It was a sound she couldn’t ignore.  Weather.com has the story of what happened next:

The sounds appeared to be coming from a flooded house. “With the help of her family, a jet ski and some jon boats on loan from others who joined the effort,” according to the newspaper, Casey was able to save 18 “soaked and shaking” dogs from the tops of pens, in kennels, and beneath a flooded staircase. The operation took 90 minutes. It appeared that the owners believed they had left their pets on high ground. Ten of the 18 dogs have been reunited with their owners. Casey took rest to the local fire department.

These are the kind of Good Samaritan stories that happens every day when America is in crisis.  People rise to the occasion, because Americans are a kind and caring people.

The next time you hear someone ask, rhetorically, “who cares?” Remember that  Americans care.

And kudos to Tony and April for showcasing this beautifully.

Image Credit: MaxPexel

Hat Tip: Weather.com and Washington Post