WESTBROOK — Seven dogs and 10 cats that were evacuated from the U.S. Virgin Islands after Hurricane Irma will be available for adoption at the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland on Saturday morning.
The animals from the Virgin Islands arrived in Westbrook just over two weeks ago, but have now finished a state-mandated quarantine and are ready to find new homes. Another 13 cats brought to the shelter as part of the rescue mission will be available for adoption once they have finished receiving medical care.
The Animal Refuge League and Coastal Humane Society in Brunswick also are preparing to take in a large number of dogs and several cats from a shelter in hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico.
Jeana Roth, director of community engagement for the Animal Refuge League in Westbrook, said the cats and dogs were among 300 animals flown to Virginia from St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix, where all animal shelters were evacuated following Irma.
On Friday, four of the seven dogs ready for adoption took turns romping through the play yard at the Arthur P. Girard Adoption Center. Roth said the dogs are all mixed breed. Shelter staff originally knew very little about the dogs when they arrived in Maine, but have been in contact with shelters in the Virgin Islands to learn a little more about them, she said.
Two of the dogs available for adoption Saturday, Katerina and Elliot, are heartworm positive. Roth said they are good dogs that will be able to go home with their new families, but the shelter will continue to provide medical care for them for the next four to six weeks. The cats ready for adoption are all adults on the small side.
The Animal Refuge League and Coastal Humane Society are among the shelters in New England that will take in animals from All Sato Rescue, the nonprofit shelter in San Juan, Puerto Rico. All Sato raised nearly $80,000 to cover fuel costs to transport 200 animals to partner shelters in Maine and Massachusetts.
Coastal Humane Society will take in 30 dogs from Puerto Rico and recently received cats from a rescue organization in Florida that was damaged during Hurricane Irma. The Animal Refuge League is expecting to take in at least 40 dogs from All Sato.
Roth said the dogs from Puerto Rico are expected to arrive Sunday, but that could be pushed to next week because of the difficulty of traveling to and from Puerto Rico.
All Sato continues to raise money to care for animals in Puerto Rico and transport them to partner shelters off the island.
“These amazing animals’ already difficult lives have been made even more difficult with the loss of power, flooding and loss of food and habitat,” All Sato posted on an online fundraising site. More than $20,000 has been raised in the past month to help the shelter.
The Animal Refuge League opens for adoptions at 10 a.m. Saturday.
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