Angels of Assisi receiving 140 cats, dogs from Florida after Irma

Animals should be available for adoption this week

ROANOKE, Va. – Angels of Assisi in Roanoke is once again stepping up to help four-legged hurricane victims.

Yesterday, the organization welcomed 140 cats and dogs from a Florida shelter impacted by Hurricane Irma.

Dozens of cats and dogs now have a new temporary home at Angels of Assisi in Roanoke. The animals had been waiting for adoption at the Jacksonville Humane Society in Florida when Hurricane Irma hit. Now, those shelters are inundated with animals that were separated from their families.

"People need to take a second to focus on themselves, realize what they are going to do because if you don't have a home to go back to you can't take your pet home. So it's important to clear out the shelters so that those people can focus on themselves and then they have longer times to find their pets," said Jessica Worrell, Angels of Assisi volunteer coordinator.

That's why Angels of Assisi picked up 140 cats and dogs in South Carolina this weekend. They sent many to shelters in other states. Thirty dogs and 25 cats stayed in Roanoke.

"It’s nice to be able to have such good partners that we can work with on a daily basis and in an extreme time of need," Worrell said.

This comes just weeks after they welcomed more than a dozen animals from shelters impacted by Hurricane Harvey.

"It’s busy but we like it busy and actually the more we can help the better we feel about things so it's manageable," said Soni Mills, Angels of Assisi veterinary technician.

They hope to have the animals ready for adoption this week.

"They're all looking for good homes, we are getting ready to examine all of them, make sure they're spayed and neutered, make sure they are up-to-date on vaccines and microchip them," Mills said.

Now they're asking for the community’s help to clear the shelters for furry friends in search of forever homes.

Angels of Assisi is holding a mass adoption event this weekend to help free up space at their shelter. It's happening from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday at the Berglund Center.


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Jessica anchors 10 News on Saturdays and Sundays at 6 and 11 p.m. You can also catch her reporting during the week.