Overnight animal rescue brings pets to NYC shelter before Hurricane Milton

NEW YORK CITY - Following Hurricane Helene and in anticipation of Hurricane Milton, dogs and cats were driven overnight to an animal shelter in New York City. 

The Best Friends Animal Society in SoHo has several animals ready for adoption and are waiving adoption fees for all the hurricane animals through the weekend.

They brought 10 dogs and 20 cats from shelters in Georgia and Florida affected by Hurricane Helene and now Hurricane Milton.

They came from shelters that lost power and experienced flooding, so it was crucial to get those pets out of those areas.

The 20 cats are currently undergoing medical evaluations and the team is checking their records to see if the animals are due for any vaccines or treatments. 

They are also checking to see if they are microchipped and if there are medical concerns to be aware of.

As for the dogs, once they arrived, they were walked and got to experience New York City for a very brief time before they were taken to one of the partner shelters in Massachusetts. This is to keep space available at the Best Friends Animal Society for more animals to arrive throughout the next week because of the hurricanes.

The Best Friends Animal Society doesn't call themselves a shelter, they are a "life-saving center" and they work with 5,000 shelters and rescue groups across the country.

"These life-saving transports, whether they're coming into our center or going up to our partner shelters. We all band together to support the community in times of need, so this opportunity is amazing because we're able to spread awareness as well," Manager of the Best Friends Animal Society Lexi Kaul said.

The staff told FOX 5 NY's Michelle Ross that some of the animals are underweight, but they are all so sweet and are looking for a home.

If you can't adopt, one way you can help is by fostering.

To adopt a pet, click here.