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Leftover From Hurricane Dorian, 58 Strays From The Bahamas Make Their Way To South Florida

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Instead of being put down, 58 strays from the Bahamas are on their way to forever homes in South Florida.

The pooches arrived in South Florida thanks in part to a nonprofit called "Wings of Rescue."

It was a rescue more than a year in the making.

"There are more pets than there are adopters and there a lot of stray pets, still leftover from Hurricane Dorian," said Ric Browde, CEO of Wings of Rescue.

Browde says on September 1, 2019, when Hurricane Dorian made landfall in the Bahamas, thousands of animals became homeless.

For the past year, many of them have been living on the streets or in shelters.

"We have the privilege of flying 58 pets, from the Humane Society of the Grand Bahamas, that had been very overcrowded because and now they've been brought to some amazing Florida shelters."

Wings of Rescue spokesperson Gene Gable says 54 dogs and 4 cats would have been euthanized if they had not taken the flight.

Most shelters have the same problem. They keep the animals as long as they can, but as soon as they start running out of space they have to start making room.

Gable says most of the animals on Saturday's flight were pre-adopted and those who do not have a home will go to the Broward Humane Society.

Last year, they saved about 10,000 animals and so far this year they have help place 2,300.

"We've been taking pets out of high kill shelters in places like Louisiana and Texas. We go to the Bahamas, the Dominican Republic and we fly them primarily to places like the Metropolitan Philadelphia area, Jersey, Northern California, and Washington state."

As for the 58 pets who landed in Four Lauderdale, Browde says them being recused has a greater purpose.

"Getting these pets out and finding them a home means I can take in other pets to help."

Click here to learn more about Wings of Rescue.

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