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.

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.

We are now collecting donations to send to our rescue partners in Puerto Rico, Texas, and Turks and Caicos!

Another transport from Texas is expected to arrive at our shelter on October 9th. We're so happy to be able to help more animals that recently experienced such terrifying weather. After we unload the pups (and give them lots of love and attention), we'll be filling the transport van with animal care and cleaning supplies to return to Texas. We also have shipping containers to get items to our rescue partners in Puerto Rico.

That same week, we have an opportunity to get much needed donations down to our friends in Turks and Caicos. A generous donor is holding two pallets of space for these donations in a cargo shipment scheduled to go out on October 9th. The Turks and Caicos SPCA, which recently had power restored after 20 days without, is working hard to help the animals in their community, including many orphaned puppies in need of Esbilac Puppy Milk Replacer (puppy formula).

Donations can be dropped off at our Christopher Cutler Rich Animal Shelter during open hours. If you'd rather shop online, check out our Hurricane Relief Amazon Wish List and items will be shipped to us.

We are in close contact with our beloved rescue partners in Puerto Rico, both on the mainland and on the island of Vieques. The level of devastation they are facing is unimaginable. We are on standby to help however possible. Unfortunately, mail delivery is still stalled and they are unable to drive and pick up any shipments  to them at this time. They are conserving any gas they have left for the possibility of any animal rescue transport trips and want to be able to get the animals to the airport when needed. We will be sure to keep you updated. Thank you for your continued support!

UPDATED 10/2/2017 WITH INFORMATION ABOUT PUERTO RICO SHIPMENT PLANS AND NEW LIST.

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.