The organization will take 22 dogs from Florida to make room in shelters for pets displaced during the storm.
NEWINGTON, Conn. — The Connecticut Humane Society will be stepping up to help dogs in Florida find new homes in Connecticut after Hurricane Ian ripped through parts of the southern state in September.
On Wednesday, more than 100 dogs from Florida will land at Brainard Airport in Hartford. 22 of them will go to the Connecticut Humane Society’s locations in Newington, Waterford, and Westport. The remaining will be taken to other sites in Connecticut and more states including Ohio.
Executive Director James Bias says the pets coming were in shelters prior to the storm. The purpose is to make room for pets that were displaced during Ian for their owners to reunite with.
“We want to try to keep those animals that are being rescued as close to where their owners would be,” Bias said. “What we’re trying to do is increase capacity for the Florida shelters to house local rescue animals.”
The dogs are coming from five organizations. He believes they will mostly be medium to large-sized dogs because smaller ones are easier to shelter in Florida. Many animals have already been relocated to shelters in the South, but more room is now needed.
Bias says some may be ready for adoption as soon as this weekend. They will go through a couple of days of medical and behavioral evaluation. Others may take more time. That is something they will figure out once the animals land.
“I think the impact is we feel like we’re part of one big group that’s really helping out and that you’re not alone,” he said.
It can be traumatic for animals to relocate, Bias says. However, he said it doesn’t take them long to adjust. He said they are not anticipating cats to arrive because, similar to smaller dogs, they are easier to house because of their size.
The flight, sponsored by the BISSELL Pet Foundation, is scheduled to land at 12:15 p.m. Anyone interested in adopting a pet from the Connecticut Humane Society can click here.
Bias says, while the pets may not be listed specifically as those from Florida, adopting any animal helps find them new homes and creates more space to house others.
Tony Black is a multi-media journalist at FOX61 News. He can be reached at tblack@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.