North Carolina Woman Saves 18 'Soaked and Shaking' Dogs

A North Carolina woman saved 18 dogs in the wake of Florence, with the help of family and friends, the Charlotte Observer reports.

The dogs’ liberator, April Casey of Seven Springs, was on her way to help a friend rescue cats when she came to a flooded road in Kinston. It was there that she heard the barking and whimpering she couldn’t ignore.

(MORE: Florence's Devastation: Dams in Danger)

The sounds appeared to be coming from a flooded house. “With the help of her family, a jet ski and some jon boats on loan from others who joined the effort,” according to the newspaper, Casey was able to save 18 “soaked and shaking” dogs from the tops of pens, in kennels, and beneath a flooded staircase. The operation took 90 minutes.

Ten of the 18 dogs have been reunited with their owners. Casey took rest to the local fire department.

While state officials in the Carolinas are closely monitoring the human death toll from Hurricane Florence, it is doubtful that we’ll ever know how many animals’ lives — some beloved pets — the storm has taken. Florence’s historic rainfall and dangerous flooding have left countless animals in danger, and locals are stepping up to the challenge of rescuing and reuniting animals with their human families.

A Richlands pastor is reportedly out in his boat, searching homes and floodwaters for dogs and cats. The Coast Guard, and even journalists covering the storm, have lent a hand in animal rescues.