The Humane Society of Puerto Rico has been successful in reuniting many pets with their owners, but with so many animals in need following Hurricane Maria, it has reached out to its counterpart in the United States for assistance.
Following the September 19 storm, thousands of dogs have been wandering the streets, their homes destroyed or their owners unable to care for them, prompting the Humane Society to step in.
Nash McCutchen, the marketing director for the Human Society of Tampa Bay, said the local organization usually works with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). Tampa took in pets in 2015 and 2016, following typhoons in South Korea, Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, and Hurricane Harvey in Houston.
However, this time, the agency in Puerto Rico reached out directly to Tampa for assistance with the ‘Sato Project’, taking its name from the Puerto Rican word for ‘mutt’.
Wings of Rescue, a nonprofit organization of volunteer pilots, has been flying homeless animals from Puerto Rico to Humane Societies in the U.S. since the storm, and brought 10 dogs to Tampa recently. Staff members from the Tampa shelter went to pick them up.
The animals, according to a shelter spokeswoman, are in good health, friendly, and social, and will make ideal pets. They are almost all ready for adoption at the Tampa facility now.
Agencies like this could work with a poster printing company to create placards to post throughout the area, announcing the adoptions.
