Man Brings 300 Shelter Dogs Into His Home To Keep Them Safe During Hurricane

 

There is nothing more sad than seeing animals displaced by natural disasters. From fires, to floods, to earthquakes, mother nature can certainly seem unkind when it comes to animal suffering.

Even domestic animals can be displaced during disasters and are sometimes left behind because there is no other choice. Watching these stranded animals on the news is heartbreaking to be sure.

However, along with the suffering, there are angels among us that set out to save as many animals as they can. One of which is Ricardo Pimentel the owner of Tierra de Animales, an animal sanctuary on the outskirts of Cancun.

Pimentel has dedicated his life to caring for animals. Over the past nine years, he has cared for and given a home to over 500 animals including stray cats, dogs, chickens, turkeys, horses, sheep, pigs, cows, and donkeys.

So, when hurricane Delta was heading toward Cancun, Pimentel was concerned about the safety of the dogs living in local shelters. He knew that the shelters wouldn’t be able to withstand the hurricane force winds so be began to make a plan to keep the animals safe.

He decided to take some unusual action. He brought all the dogs living in shelters, 300 of them, into his home for a sleepover so he could protect them from the storm. It took him and a team of volunteers to collect the dogs but they were able to do it before the hurricane made landfall.

“We had to bring them in on leash two by two,” Pimentel told The Dodo. “Some of them are afraid or don’t know how to walk on a leash, so we had to carry them to the house, but in the end, it was worth it because they are all safe.”

In the beginning the dogs had trouble getting used to the small space and made a mess. But amazingly, after taking a little time to get settled, all the dogs got along and handled their confinement in the house well together. He said:

“They were actually very well-behaved all night.”

The storm struck landfall as a category 2 hurricane and did lots of damage but it was not as bad as originally thought. After lots of clean up and repairs, soon the shelters reopened so the dogs could return.

All the dogs stayed with Pimentel until their shelters were ready for them the next day. Although he loved having them, we’re sure it was bittersweet to watch them go. Thanks for him, all the dogs were safe and survived the hurricane.

As always, please feel free to share this amazing story with your friends.