Cats, dogs from Louisiana shelters brought to Florida just before Hurricane Ida hit.
Twelve homeless cats and 36 dogs — precious cargo rescued from Louisiana shelters before Hurricane Ida hit — arrived in South Florida before dawn Sunday.
“We’re calling them our Louisiana love bugs,” said Cherie Wachter, a spokeswoman for the Humane Society of Broward County.
The animals made the long trek in a retrofitted RV that left Louisiana at 11 a.m. Saturday and pulled up to the Humane Society at 5:15 a.m.
Traffic leaving the state was moving at a crawl, but the crew reached their safe haven nearly seven hours before Ida came ashore as a Category 4 hurricane near Port Fourchon.
The cats and kittens will be up for adoption right away, Wachter said. The dogs and puppies will be ready for adoption later next week after they’ve been given time to rest.
The animals came from four different shelters in Louisiana and were transported here with help from Greater Good Charities, Wachter said.
“Normally it’s an 11- or 12-hour drive,” Wachter said. “It was a long drive, around 980 miles. I think they’re tired.”
A pretty boy named Sarge was taken to sick bay right away to be treated for a gunshot wound he already had when he got to one of the shelters in Louisiana, Wachter said.
Adoption fees vary based on the age of the animal: $150 for dogs over five months; $300 for dogs under five months; $40 for cats over five months; and $100 for kittens under five months.
Adoptions are by appointment only.
People interested in adoption are required to fill out an application online.
Visit www.humanebroward.com to complete a pre-adoption application or call 954-989-3977 ext. 6 for more information.
The shelter is located at 2070 Griffin Road, one block west of Interstate 95.