Pets Impacted by Tropical Storm Ian Helped By Falls Church Rescue

FALLS CHURCH, VA — A Falls Church-based pet rescue will help shelters in Florida impacted by Tropical Storm Ian.

Ian has posed a threat to people and pets when it made landfall as a category 4 storm in Florida, bringing powerful winds, storm surge, power outages and other impacts. Now a tropical storm, Ian is expected to strengthen again to a hurricane as it approaches South Carolina into Friday, according to the National Hurricane Center. Life-threatening storm surge is expected across the northeast Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina coasts through Friday and hurricane-force winds on the South Carolina coast starting early Friday.

In response to Ian, shelters in impacted areas will take in homeless pets to protect them from the storm conditions. That means the shelters will need to make room for these pets.

That's where Falls Church's Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation comes in. The rescue committed to taking in 60 dogs and cats, which will clear up space needed to shelter other pets from the storm.

BISSELL Pet Foundation, a national animal welfare organization, is coordinating pet evacuations from two Florida shelters, Citrus County Animal Services and Suncoast Humane Society. The rescued pets are being sheltered at the Greater Birmingham Humane Society before being taken by Charleston Animal Society to partner facilities, including Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation .

Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation's Rescue Care Center at the Eden Center has been preparing for the emergency intake and mobilizing volunteers. The center was built to provide extra capacity during challenges like the current Tropical Storm Ian.

Others can help the rescue as it receives the shelter pets from Florida. Help can be provided by fostering, adopting, buying items for the rescue's wish list and volunteering at the Rescue Care Center.

For more information, visit lostdogrescue.org.