The heartbreak and damage left behind in the wake of the recent hurricanes left all of us here at Cape Ann Animal Aid wishing we could do more to help. Supporters like you helped us fund animal rescue trips and get much needed supplies to rescue partners in Texas, the Virgin Island, Turks and Caicos, and Puerto Rico.

The students at Methuen High School wanted to help, too. Particularly struck by the plight of animals in Puerto Rico, several groups within the school worked together under the leadership of teacher, Malik Howshan, and created a plan to help. They would make posters and set up donation bins to collect much needed animal care supplies, food, and treats.

Because shipping items to Puerto Rico was a costly endeavor, they looked for a way to help the cause indirectly and on a more local level. That's where Cape Ann Animal Aid came into the picture. Referred by our rescue partners at All Sato Rescue of Puerto Rico, the boxes and boxes of donations collected by this upstanding group of students made their way to our shelter. As documented in earlier blog posts, several animals rescued in Puerto Rico were transported into our care in the months following the hurricanes. The donation drive at Methuen High School benefited these and other animals at our Christopher Cutler Rich Animal Shelter. Not only that, but with extra supplies on hand, more funds could be allocated to help with transportation and animal vet care costs for these rescued animals.

On November 17, 2017, I had the pleasure of meeting the amazing students that turned their desire to help into a mission of action (See slideshow below). Cape Ann Animal Aid volunteer, Pamela Ciccone, helped with the pickup and we even brought a few puppies along for the visit. The pups were originally found as newborns, abandoned in a ditch in Texas with their mother. They were wonderful (and cute!) ambassadors of thanks on behalf of the cause. I truly enjoyed meeting the students, hearing the pride in their voices as they spoke about the project, and learning more about their project process. Seeing the mutual joy shared by all involved -- including the puppies, who soaked up every ounce of attention -- is something I will not soon forget.

On behalf of all of the animals at Cape Ann Animal Aid, we send many thanks to the students of Methuen High School; teachers Malik Howshan and Johanna Fawcett; Tod Amazeen; Twig Mowatt; and all who made this project possible.

THREE CHEERS FOR THE INSPIRATIONAL AND GENEROUS YOUTH OF OUR COMMUNITY!
Here at Cape Ann Animal Aid's Christopher Cutler Rich Animal Shelter, we are fortunate enough to experience the kindness of an animal-loving, selfless, and generous children and teenagers on a regular basis. This holiday season has brought an exceptional response from the youth of our community, much to the great benefit of homeless dogs and cats in our care. While it's hard to find the perfect words to extend thanks to these upstanding individuals, we try our best to honor their good deeds. At a time when their focus might be pulled to other endeavors, they have carved out time in their days and room in their hearts for our collective furry friends. From neighborhood bake sales to school-wide donation drives, birthday party collections to service projects, these kids teach us all a lesson in thinking global and acting local. Be sure to check out our Facebook page for more photos and stories about child-organized donation efforts on a regular basis.

As our supporters and friends know, Cape Ann Animal Aid has been operating on all fronts these past two months. From donation drives to fundraising pleas for help, we continue to do all that we can to send supplies and accommodate increased intake from rescue partners in regions recently hit by hurricanes. While this goal was ambitious, and left our shelter filled to over 50% of our average capacity, we have the support of many to thank for helping to make it all happen. To date, we have been able to take in animals from St. Croix, Turks and Caicos, Texas, and Puerto Rico – with more rescue trips in the works.

But in the midst of all of this, we were compelled to maintain our previously scheduled rescue transport trips with partner shelters in other regions of the United States. These groups were not directly impacted by the hurricanes, but they were and are still facing an up-hill battle in regards to animal overpopulation and high euthanasia rates. These rescue partners in Georgia and Louisiana were still counting on us and we couldn’t let them down.

Thankfully, Cape Ann Animal Aid was recently awarded an $8,000 grant from the Petco Foundation to support our Safe Harbor Transportation Program. The purpose of this grant was to help us extend our animal lifesaving efforts and serve the Petco Foundation’s mission to raise the quality of life for pets and people who love and need them. Thanks to this funding support, we were able to uphold our previously-scheduled transport plans, saving 66 animals from Louisiana and Georgia since September 1st. We send deepest thanks to the Petco Foundation for believing in our mission and investing in this important work.

At the end of September, two of our staff members, Kayla and Jacquie, set out on one of these transport pick ups, coordinated in partnership with Sweet Paws Rescue. They drove over 650 miles to the meeting point in Virginia and returned to Massachusetts with 15 dogs and 3 cats from Louisiana. This trip included nursing mama, Foxy, and her seven puppies (seen below).

For more information about the Petco Foundation, visit www.petcofoundation.org. Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or by using the hashtag #PetcoFoundation.

Last week, Cape Ann Animal Aid joined forces with several Massachusetts rescue groups and shelters, in partnership with All Sato Rescue, to save over 180 animals from Puerto Rico (see video below).

We were honored to be a part of this life-changing transport and we send thanks to all who made it possible, including Wings of Rescue, Mission Miracle K-9 Rescue and ILoveMyDogSoMuch.com. In addition, we send special thanks to our supporters, many of whom made donations towards the fuel expense for this trip. The outpouring of love, support, and interest in these animals has been overwhelming and truly heart-warming.

We welcomed six cats and eleven dogs from this transport here at our Christopher Cutler Rich Animal Shelter. We gave them a few days to settle in and relax. Tomorrow, many will get spayed/neutered. We expect that they will be available for adoption later this week or this weekend so keep an eye on our website. They are looking forward to meeting you all very soon!

DONATION DRIVE UPDATE
There will never be enough words to thank you all for hearing our call for help and responding immediately with donations to help our rescue partners in hurricane-hit regions.

Late Tuesday night, we welcomed 27 cats and kittens, evacuated from St. Croix Animal Welfare Center in the path of Hurricane Maria. This amazing and inspiring rescue effort and was led by members of Island Dog Rescue with help from St. Croix Animal Welfare Society and  R.E.A.L. Cruzan Cats. Together, they saved over  300 animals off of the U.S. Virgin Islands. We were honored to be contacted by this group of rescuers and to open our doors and welcome as many cats and kittens as possible. The cats are settling in and we look forward to sharing photos and more information with you soon.

Unfortunately, word from St. Croix Animal Welfare Society posted yesterday through Island Dog Rescue's Facebook page is heartbreaking. The hurricane completely destroyed their facility. From their post: "The puppy room and cat room are completely gone. Roofs blown away. The expensive, heavy metal cages smashed and blown all over..." We are so thankful that these animals were saved from such destruction.

Meanwhile, we await word from all of our other rescue contacts. From Vieques, Puerto Rico, the fate of the rescuers and their facility is unknown. The mainland rescuers of Our Big Fat Caribbean Rescue reported on their Facebook page late last night that they still had not heard updates from many of their team members. Power and phone lines across Puerto Rico and the island of Vieques are completely down, making it hard to connect with our friends and confirm any news.

In Turks and Caicos, our rescue partners are facing a difficult road ahead. A recent update says they have "many orphaned pups in the adoption center, and more coming in daily". They are in dire need of good quality puppy formula and donations. 

Our hearts break to read these updates. We will do our absolute best to take great care of the dogs still with us from Texas and now, these 27 sweet cats from St. Croix. Our mission is to give them the best care, lots of love, and to find them the best homes ever! We are ready and willing to take in more animals over the coming months as the rescues continue and rebuilding begins.

There are many ways to help all of the shelters impacted by recent hurricanes. Donations to our Safe Harbor Fund are welcome and will be used to coordinate rescue transports for animals in hurricane-impacted regions. (The 1:1 matching challenge for Safe Harbor Fund donations will continue until 5pm, Thursday, September 21st.)

Additionally, donations can be made directly to our partner organizations using these links:
St. Croix Animal Welfare Society - St. Croix
All Sato Rescue - Puerto Rico
Wags to Riches - Puerto Rico
Our Big Fat Caribbean Rescue - Vieques, Puerto Rico
Chances Dog Rescue and Relocation - Texas
Potcake Place - Turks and Caicos

Together, we will come together and help our friends heal, repair, and rebuild their lives. Thank you for standing with us!

UPDATE: Read more about this heroic rescue effort in a recent Huffington Post article.