Fall River shelter rescues abandoned animals from Puerto Rico

December 29, 2018 6:34 pm

By: Amanda Pitts

alpitts@abc6.com

@APittsABC6

FALL RIVER, Mass. (WLNE) — More than a year after Hurricane Maria rocked Puerto Rico, life there is starting to get back to normal. But now, the island is dealing with an emergency pet crisis.

It’s estimated that half a million dogs and a million cats have been added to the stray population in Puerto Rico. Many of them, abandoned pets.

Forever Paws Animal Shelter in Fall River has stepped in, rescuing as many pets as possible, to give them a second chance at life.

“It was definitely overwhelming. It was worse than I had anticipated.”

Casey Fredette, shelter director at Forever Paws, flew down to the island right before Christmas, spending five days assisting in what he calls an animal crisis.

“You have the existing population of stray animals that was always there, but now they’ve had this massive impact of formerly owned animals that were abandoned.”

He joined several other organizations, picking up dogs and cats that were roaming free.

“We rescued off of beaches, from abandoned homes. I got them into the shelters, we did a lot of review of the animals, how their health was,” said Fredette.

The trip was funded by an anonymous donor who lent the group a private jet that made two trips back to the states, rescuing more than 100 strays.

Forever Paws took in 30 of them.

“It does feel like what we’re doing is possibly not even making a dent, but we have to try,” said Fredette.

The dogs and cats of all ages have only been at the shelter for two days. Five have already been adopted.

“We have a mission at Forever Paws to give animals a new leash on life, and so we’re able to give at least a few of them a new leash on life and give them happy new lives in New England.”

Fredette is heading back to the island in February to assist with the Humane Society’s Spay-a-Thon to get as many animals spayed and neutered as possible.

For information on how to adopt, click here.