Long Island animal rescue pairs displaced animals in natural disasters with veterans
NESCONSET, Long Island (WABC) -- Displaced pets are one of the many sad realities of natural disasters.
After Hurricanes Helene and Milton, there are many dogs, cats, and other animals in need of assistance.
Volunteers on Long Island are helping save pets from disaster areas and pairing them with new owners in need of a companion.
"I've seen a lot in my lifetime, but I've never seen anything like this," Angelique Williams of Paws of War said.
Volunteers Angelique Williams and Niki Dawson with the animal rescue organization described a journey in North Carolina like no other.
Paws of War in Nesconset helps support veterans by rescuing and training companion animals.
Within the first 72 hours after Hurricane Helene struck Williams and Dawson were on the ground near Asheville, North Carolina.
"Their whole community is decimated," Williams said.
Suddenly the site of little puppies had heartbreak turn to healing.
The puppies are 4 adorable, 6-week-old Sheppard mixes Latte, Cosmo, Nova and sleepy Capone.
The dogs were part of a family that had taken in a stray just weeks prior.
The puppies' mother was starving as supplies were dangerously low.
"When they look at their pet and realize they just can't give them the care that they need because they're trying to keep their children alive, that's when we can step in and help," Dawson said.
The volunteers didn't stop there. They got essential gas back up to the most remote areas where families needed generators to support life-saving tools for their human loved ones.
"It really meant a lot to these people. There was tears everywhere. We were giving hugs to each other," Williams said.
Once the family learned their puppies would eventually live with veterans:
"He teared up, because his dad and his grandfather served," Williams said.
Williams and Dawson plan to leave over the weekend and head to Florida to help more animals.
The puppies were vaccinated and will go through a few weeks of training on Long Island before they will be ready to go into homes with veterans.
"They still need help. North Carolina really needs a lot of help," Williams said.
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