ATLANTA — More than 50 animals have been evacuated to the Atlanta Humane Society from shelters in Louisiana and South Mississippi in preparation for Hurricane Ida.
AHS Marketing Programs Manager Amanda Harris said 20 cats and 31 dogs were brought to Atlanta in a trailer ahead of Hurricane Ida's landfall.
Ida rapidly intensified to a Category 2 storm Saturday and it's expected to slam into Louisiana on Sunday, 16 years after Hurricane Katrina.
"We do have a disaster response team that is always monitoring weather situations throughout the southeast and we have shelter partners in all the southern states that we reach out to when we know a storm is imminent," she said.
Harris said she remembers the impact from Hurricane Katrina on those hard hit animal shelters and the rippling effects that it had, with so many pets being stranded from their homes, was surprising.
"What we have started to do is go in and help those shelters that are about to be impacted by a storm empty as much space out as possible so that they are prepared to take in that influx of displaced animals," she said.
After taking in the animals, they will undergo a medical and behavioral evaluation then they'll be available for adoption.
"Once they are available for adoption, we definitely need the community to come on out here, 51 animals is a lot to take in, in one night, of course we're still taking in from the community everyday," Harris said.