In a heartwarming display of community spirit, 160 dogs were rescued from a shelter in Florida just before Hurricane Milton made landfall. Volunteers and caring residents united to ensure the safety of these animals, placing them temporarily with foster families.
Community Mobilization
Stefania Bada, a volunteer at Medley Animal Services in Miami, documented the rescue on her TikTok account, sharing a video of the now-empty spaces in the shelter. “We did it Miami!!!” she wrote in the video, celebrating the successful foster placements. “160 dogs all fostered out for 5 days to keep them safe and warm for the hurricane… praying for some foster fails… no dogs left behind.”
Bada, who operates a dog networking page on Instagram called One Dog At A Time, along with fellow volunteers Jennifer Rodriguez and Carolina Falquez, began the rescue mission on Monday. The Medley shelter is known for flooding during storms, which made the urgency of their mission even more critical.
“We asked and pleaded for the community to come together and help clear out the Medley shelter, and that’s what we did!” Bada wrote. “All 160 dogs were taken out and brought to safety. Now they are enjoying life for 5 days in a home! We are praying for some foster fails.”
Social Media Impact
The video shared by Bada quickly went viral, accumulating over 800,000 views and 150,000 likes since its posting on Tuesday. Bada emphasized the proactive approach taken by her team, closely monitoring the storm and taking action to help the dogs before the hurricane hit.
“When we heard about Milton, we were like, ‘Okay, the dogs at the Medley Shelter need to be helped,'” she told Good Morning America. “That shelter floods horribly when it just rains for an hour or two, so any form of a pressure storm is really bad for these dogs.”
Bada and her volunteers tirelessly promoted the need for foster families through social media, sending direct messages, emails, and reaching out to other animal lovers. Their efforts paid off as many people stepped up to help.
Historic Community Response
Annette Jose, Director of Miami-Dade County Animal Services, praised the unprecedented response from the community. “This has been an unprecedented response from the community to come and pull our pets to safety during a storm,” she remarked.
Jose highlighted the role of social media in amplifying their call for help, noting how volunteers and influencers played a vital part in spreading the word.
“It started going from one social media platform to another because of our volunteers, and then it was picked up by some influencers,” she explained. “This is the kind of thing that inspires everyone, not just the volunteers who take a pet for the weekend or for the storm, but also our staff who feel like they made a difference in the lives of these pets.”
Happy Tails Ahead
After the successful mission to clear the shelter, Bada received heartwarming updates from the foster families. They shared videos and pictures of the dogs enjoying their time in their temporary homes—running around, cuddling, and playing with toys.
Bada encourages others to consider fostering, especially during times of crisis. “You need to please go to your local shelters,” she urged. “When something bad is going to happen in your community in terms of weather, you have to save the ones that can’t save themselves.”
Related topics:
Surge in Dog Attack Complaints Prompts Ashburton Council Review
12 Dog Breeds Most Likely To Be Elected President
French Bulldog Mix Faces Water Bowl Dilemma After Dropping Ball
