Liberty Humane Society, Jersey City’s non-profit animal shelter, is doing their part to help Hurricane Harvey victims by taking in seven rescued dogs this week.
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“When it comes to transferring animals from outside our area, it’s not something we usually do. But in terms of disaster responses, these are mainly a lot of smaller dogs who are in need of placements and we were able to get together the foster homes to allow them to transfer in,” explained LHS Executive Director Irene Borngraeber.
“We really wanted to pay it forward because really people rallied after Hurricanes Sandy and Hurricane Irene to help us evacuate LHS when we were in need. Now that we had the opportunity to help people on Texas, we’re gonna do the best that we can.”
Borngraeber was joined by her assistant vet technician and three puppies from the Lone Star State: Terry, Sandy and Flynn, who all seemed to be playful and in good health, though she noted they were being examined and awaiting medical clearance.
Mary Ellen Liddy, a volunteer at LHS for six years, was involved in the process of transporting the seven canines from Texas to New Jersey.
“The folks from ARF (Animal Rescue Fund) who came from the Hamptons, who did the transport and had gone down to Texas, they were super happy and super sad: one of the gentleman cried to see the dogs leaving, we had a lot of big hugs,” she recalled.
” … These guys are all dogs that had already been in the shelter, they were from the city of Beaumont which got super flooded – so they had been there prior to the Hurricane – so getting these guys out will hopefully make some room for dogs who are displaced who are just looking for their owners and waiting to be reunited.”
Corey Schneider, the goalie for the New Jersey Devils, and his wife Jill got involved with the cause by fostering Sweetie, a blue-eyed adult dog that had been displaced from the natural disaster.
“We wanted to foster her because with everything that’s happened in Texas, people and animals have been in our prayers and this is just one small thing that we could do for them,” stated Jill Schneider.
“If we have any hockey fans, or anyone in general, whose interested in adopting her full time, that we be great. Like I said, there’s a lot going on in Houston, the Texas area right now so obviously a lot of aid going to people but sometimes animals fall through the cracks.”
To see other ways Hudson County has been doing their best to help out victims of Hurricane Harvey, check out this story from last week.
