Nine furry friends rescued from Texas flood-affected shelters could soon find new forever homes in Chicago.
The puppies on Wednesday were welcomed to a wave of cheers and applause from volunteers and caretakers at the PAWS Chicago Kocourek Medical Center, 3516 W. 26th St., in Little Village. The pups will be medically treated before they can be adopted by Chicagoans.
The puppies were in Texas shelters before flooding over the Fourth of July weekend, said Celene Mielcarek, head of program operations at PAWS Chicago. At least 132 people have died in the floods.
Moving the pups to Chicago will free up space in Texas shelters for other displaced pets, some possibly rescued from the floods, Mielcarek said.
That will give the shelters “a little bit more space so that they can help people in need on the ground there,” she said.
The young puppies, all 5-months-old or younger, were transported by the PAWS’ disaster relief team from a shelter in Austin, Texas.
They are part of the second transport of rescues to Chicago. On Monday, PAWS Chicago took in 22 pets from the Concho Valley PAWS of San Angelo, Texas.
The Texas pets will be available for adoption after receiving exams, vaccinations and any needed medical care, said Melissa Goodemoote, veterinarian and director of shelter medicine at PAWS Chicago.
The pets could be available for adoption as soon as early next week. They will be marked as Texas rescues on their online profiles.
“Others might require a foster home, just until they possibly recover, or if they need a little bit of time gaining some weight before their surgeries. So we encourage everyone to keep an eye on our website,” Sarah McDonald, associate director of media relations at PAWS Chicago, said.
The team is preparing to transport kittens from flood-affected shelters in Texas.
“The more space that we free up, even here in Chicago, the more that we can continue to help, whether it’s in disaster zones like we did today, or here locally,” McDonald said.
PAWS Chicago’s efforts have been noted by some people donating on the shelter’s website.
“We’re so happy with the response from the community,” Mielcarek said. “Everything we do is powered by our community, and so we are very thankful for those who have chosen to donate.”