Brother Wolf sends out plea to Northern shelters to help animals affected by S.C. floods

Recent record flooding across South Carolina has displaced residents throughout the state and caused severe damage as the waters begin to recede. Among the crises to arise from the natural disaster is the displacement of hundreds of pets lost during the flooding and evacuations.

As animals recovered by South Carolina authorities begin to stream into already-burdened local animal shelters, Asheville’s Brother Wolf Animal Rescue is preparing to help deal with the overflow of shelter animals and sending out a call for assistance to facilities across the east coast, according to a press release from the no-kill shelter.

“We’re very concerned for our neighbors in South Carolina in the wake of all this flooding,” says Denise Bitz, President and Founder of Brother Wolf.  We’ve just finished a field assessment of the conditions there, and we are certain things will get much worse for animal shelters there as the floods subside.”

Representatives from Brother Wolf met with animal shelter officials in Marion County, Chesterfield County and Georgetown County in S.C. to begin coordinating the transfer of animals from municipal shelters there to Brother Wolf’s 82 acre sanctuary property in Asheville earlier this week. “They all predict that animals lost during the floods will travel to lower ground as the flood waters recede, placing a huge burden on already overcrowded shelters,” Blitz explains.

She says that many of the shelters in these areas are “already chock-full of literally hundreds of healthy, adoptable dogs and cats,” with more to come as animal control officials begin to round up stray and lost animals in the wake of the flood waters. Shelter officials fear that many of these animals will have to be euthanized to make space as new arrivals come in.

Bitz says that Brother Wolf has established a temporary Emergency Relief Center at its Sanctuary property to help alleviate the burden on S.C. shelters in the coming weeks. “We are working directly with these municipalities to pull as many animals as possible over the next several days, so they can make room for incoming cat and dog refugees from the floods.”

Animals arriving at the Relief Center will be examined by Brother Wolf’s veterinarian and cared for around the clock by staff and volunteers, according to the press release. Those determined to be healthy and adoptable will then be transported to shelters in the North, where they can be adopted into those communities.

“We’re in a race against the clock,” notes Bitz. “We need to find more transport partners in the North who could make some room at their shelters for adoptable dogs and cats from affected areas.” Brother Wolf has set the goal of transporting approximately 50 animals every few days and expects to move upwards of 300-400 dogs and cats over the next several weeks.

“We’re asking that any animal shelters in the Northeast United States who can make room for dog and cat refugees from the South Carolina floods, please email us at help@bwar.org,” says Bitz.

In addition to the S.C. counties mentioned above, Brother wolf expects that additional support efforts will be necessary for Orangeburg and Williamsburg Counties, which were still inaccessible due to flood waters at the time of the press release. “We expect they will need urgent relief as well, so we’re hoping for a full force of support from animal shelters up North,” Bitz says.

Residents who wish to donate money towards helping Brother Wolf’s releif efforts are encouraged to go to bwar.org or send donations by mail to P.O. Box 8195, Asheville, NC 28814. Those interested in volunteering their time to assist in relief efforts should visit bwar.org or check out Brother Wolf’s Facebook page to learn more.

Press release:

NC Rescue Group Plea to Animal Shelters in North U.S.

South Carolina Shelters Need Urgent Help with Mass Overcrowding in Wake of Floods

Asheville, NC – TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2015:​ Brother Wolf Animal Rescue has set up an Emergency Relief Center at its 82 acre Sanctuary Property in Asheville, North Carolina. “We’re very concerned for our neighbors in South Carolina in the wake of all this flooding. We’ve just finished a field assessment of the conditions there, and we are certain things will get much worse for animal shelters there as the floods subside,” says Denise Bitz, President and Founder of Brother Wolf Animal Rescue.

Rivers in the affected areas are expected to crest Tuesday evening. As the flood waters subside, animal control officials are expecting that the worst is yet to become for cats and dogs displaced by the floods. “We met directly with officials from municipal shelters in Marion County, Chesterfield County, and Georgetown County. They all predict that animals lost during the floods will travel to lower ground as the flood waters recede, placing a huge burden on already overcrowded shelters.

“We visited these shelters and met the animals face­face. These shelters are already chock full of literally hundreds of healthy, adoptable dogs and cats, and shelter officials fear they will have to be euthanized to make room for lost local pets, displaced from the floods,” says Bitz. “That’s why we built the temporary Emergency Relief Center at our Sanctuary property. We are working directly with these municipalities to pull as many animals as possible over the next several days, so they can make room for incoming cat and dog refugees from the floods.

“When the animals first come to our Emergency Relief Center, they are examined by our veterinarian and fed and cared for by our volunteer caregivers for a few days, until we can transport them on to animal shelters up North who can adopt them out in their communities.” Bitz adds,​“The only animals we are transporting out of the affected areas are healthy, adoptable animals who were already cleared for adoption prior to the flooding.”

“But we’re in a race against the clock.​And we need to find more transport partners in the North who could make some room at their shelters for adoptable dogs and cats from affected areas. Our goal is to transport about 50 animals every few days out of the affected areas – at least 300­400 dogs and cats over the next two to three weeks– from these municipalities. Shelter officials believe this rate will help keep adoptable dogs and cats from threat of euthanasia as displaced animals come in. We’re asking that any animal shelters in the Northeast United States who can make room for dog and cat refugees from the South Carolina floods, please email us at help@bwar.org.​

“There are two counties we haven’t even been able to assess yet: Orangeburg County and Williamsburg County are still inaccessible by road due to flooding. We expect they will need urgent relief as well, so we’re hoping for a full force of support from animal shelters up North,” says Bitz.

Individuals wishing to aid in Brother Wolf Animal Rescue’s emergency flood rescue efforts are asked to donate at bwar.org or by mail at PO Box 8195 Asheville, NC 28814.

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Brother Wolf Animal Rescue, located in Asheville, NC, was founded in 2007 to provide the resources and life­saving programs to build a No­Kill community. As a grassroots organization, Brother Wolf Animal Rescue operates a one­of­a­kind adoption center that is open to the public 365 days a year, making it easy to adopt, volunteer, and become involved in their No­Kill mission. Brother Wolf Animal Rescue also works across the southeast helping shelters and rescue groups work more strategically within their communities to keep pets healthy, happy and in their homes ­ and out of the shelter system.