By Laura T. Coffey
TODAY
NEW YORK — Will dogs, cats and other animals fare as badly in Sandy’s wake as they did during Hurricane Katrina, which left an estimated 250,000 pets stranded and struggling to survive?
Animal rescuers say it’s still too early to tell — although they’re hopeful that animals in states most affected by Sandy’s wrath will stand a better chance than they did during Katrina’s onslaught in 2005. Their hopefulness is based on the prevalence of pet-friendly shelters in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia.
“Up until actual storm conditions started, we had heard of literally hundreds of animal-friendly shelters opening,” said Niki Dawson, director of disaster services for the Humane Society of the United States. “Pets were either being welcomed at human shelters, or other resources were being provided if human shelters didn’t welcome pets.”
Full story: Rush is on to rescue animals stranded in Sandy’s wake