The Humane Society of the United States is on the ground in Florida and Tennessee assisting multiple communities with animal needs in the aftermath of deadly Hurricane Helene.
In Tennessee, the HSUS is assisting Cocke County by transporting adoptable animals from local animal shelters to increase the capacity of the community to care for an anticipated influx of displaced animals. The HSUS is bringing approximately 45 adoptable animals from City of Newport Animal Control, Cocke County Animal Control, and Smoky Mountain Humane Society—which has been struggling with loss of power and water—to our care and rehabilitation center in Maryland. By transporting animals who were available for adoption pre-storm out of the region, local animal services will be better positioned to take in and care for displaced animals in their community, increasing the likelihood of reunifications.
Responders from the HSUS are en route to Unicoi County, Tennessee, at the request of local officials to assess a dire situation at Unicoi County Animal Shelter, which was left flooded and devastated by Hurricane Helene. The shelter is now completely uninhabitable, and all the animals had to be evacuated. Some of the animals are in foster homes, while others were evacuated to Sullivan County Animal Shelter. The HSUS sent a delivery of animal food to the receiving shelter to support their efforts to care for the influx of animals.…