Part of each sale through the iHeartDogs store is donated to Greater Good, which helps support various charities. Thanks to customers like you, happy endings, like the one below, are made possible.
Animal Lifeline successfully coordinated transport, immediate care, and foster placements for over 85 animals that needed assistance following the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria. This tremendous effort was made possible thanks to a grant they received from Greater Good and the Second Chance Movement. The funding they received was able to relieve some of the burdens the Animal Lifeline staff and volunteers had been facing.
Overall, it provided for 56 cats, 31 dogs, and two pigs to receive a “Ride To Rescue” from the devastation of Puerto Rico to a new life that would provide a forever loving home. Here’s more about their amazing story!
While Animal Lifeline had been providing assistance during the hurricanes for several months, this transport was a little different for those involved and had multiple moving parts. Animal Lifeline was able to work in collaboration with Christine Beckles of The Sato Project, Ric Browde from Wings of Rescue and Kim Alboum from HSUS, to provide ground transport for animals that were being flown from Vieques, Puerto Rico on December 1, 2017. These animals were part of a transport from a plane that had departed from Puerto Rico several hours earlier, and they were now being unloaded onto a tarmac in frigid temperatures well into the wee hours of the night.
“Looking at the scared and very cold faces was heartbreaking. All of the dogs were very dirty and very thin. It is hard to imagine the condition of the buildings and the life that these animals had endured for almost three months since the hurricanes had first hit.” – Animal Lifeline
The team arrived and began assisting their newly acquired precious cargo by loading and securing each animal into a heated van, where a blanket was given for comfort and warmth. Fresh food and clean water were also provided to each of the animals. They were then safely delivered to the receiving shelters and the Animal Lifeline team has continued following their journey to finding forever homes ever since.
“The transformation from the scared, shy, filthy and matted animals to the adopted loved pets that they are today, reinforces the gratitude that we all share for the grants that allowed these animals to be saved.” – Animal Lifeline
That cold December 1st transport isn’t the only wonderful story to come from their efforts in recent months. Animal Lifeline has also provided transportation to Pittsburgh, and other areas of PA, for dogs and cats that had been received through St. Hubert’s in NJ from mid-October. Among the animals from Puerto Rico was a beautiful litter of 12 sweet 4.5-week old puppies. Momma Pup had been transported with them but she had an infection that did not allow for her to continue to care for or nurse her babies and since a loud, busy shelter was no place for puppies of this age, they were all placed in foster care.
“It had been a few years since I had last fostered puppies but how could anyone look at these precious faces and say no. My family was able to care for these beautiful, rambunctious and very messy babies for over a month until they were able to find forever loving families. Attached are a few pictures of when we picked them up and along the journey until their adoptions.” – Animal Lifeline
Thanks to the hard work of the Animal Lifeline team, paired with the financial support from Greater Good and the Second Chance Movement, so many animals’ lives have been changed for the better! And ultimately, none of this could take place without support from our iHeartDogs customers!
Animal Lifeline is just one of the many groups that benefit from the Second Chance Movement. Every time you make a purchase from the iHeartDogs shop, you’re helping fund projects just like this!
