Several miracles have occurred at the Dillon County Animal Shelter in the last few months, notably two Heartworm Eradication Programs and also two successful adoption events. But by far, the most outstanding miracle unfolded last week during the advent of Hurricane Florence.
With over 111 dogs and cats in the Shelter, the Shelter staff made up of Douglas Pernell, Atonya-Davis Owens, and Nancy Foxworth Townsend, along with Friends Helping the Dillon Shelter spearheaded by Diane Rogers, and volunteers with the Humane Society of Dillon County all joined forces to find rescue and safe havens for every one of the animals. Because memories of power outages and Dillon flooding from Matthew weighed heavily on their minds, this team was determined to get every animal to safety.
Black Dog Club in Smithfield, NC, one of the Shelter’s most loyal and active rescues, was able to send a van and transport 21 pups to the Smithfield area and then on to foster homes near Raleigh where many have already been adopted. The ASPCA transported a large group to Gwinnett County in Georgia, where they are being cared for and made available for adoption. The Southeastern US Animal Rescue Disaster Help also provided assistance with transport. Ten pups also went to Brother Wolf Animal Rescue in Asheville, NC.
Perhaps the most amazing transport was provided by a unique gentleman named Tony Alsup who drove a retrofitted school bus from Tennessee to the Shelter and saved 13 adult dogs. He also made stops in Horry County, and his brave exploits have now been featured in the Washington Post and USA Today. His rescue is called Tony With Ears. Sophie Silversteen also grove a group to NY ahead of the storm. Best Friends Animal Society based in Kanab, Utah, also assisted in coordinating transports.
The most harrowing rescue was driven by Gill Gignilliat who drove into Dillon as the storm approached Friday morning and successfully got a van loaded with adult dogs back to Greenville, SC. Several people in Dillon County also took cats and dogs into their homes.
A very heartbreaking situation occurred when several Dillon County citizens witnessed a woman in a black SUV, perhaps an Envoy, dump a beautiful mother dog and her two pups near the Box Plant in Latta. Douglas Pernell and his workers were able to get this pitiful little family to the Dillon Shelter and on to a transport going to Florida, where they are now safe and sound. Authorities and volunteers are still hoping this cruel person can be identified and prosecuted. If you have information, call the Shelter at 843 841-8884 or the Humane Society at 843 487-7592.
As the winds and rains of Florence swept through Dillon, the Shelter staff were finally able to deal with securing the safety of their homes and families. During and after the storm, the Shelter has provided a safe place for pets belonging to citizens forced to evacuate.
Because of the number of animals evacuated, the supplies of the Shelter and the Humane Society of Dillon County are seriously depleted. Several fundraisers are on-going, including one sponsored by Shelter supporter Michele Higham with Paw Paw Pet Rescue in Yulee, Florida. Large wire crates for dogs and also plastic airline-type carriers for cats are desperately needed. You can donate at Pay Pal to Dilloncountyanimalshelter@hotmail.com or 1020 Old Latta Highway, Dillon, SC 29536 or to PayPal Humanesocietyofd illoncounty@gmail.com or 4160 Glasdrum Drive, Little Rock, SC 29567.
