The only animal shelter in Dorchester County was hoping to evacuate over 300 dogs and cats before Tropical Storm Debby hit the Lowcountry.
Since Dorchester Paws was built 72 years ago in a flood zone, Director of Development and Marketing Kate Fullwood says every time it rains, they flood. With Tropical Storm Debby potentially bringing record rainfall, Fullwood says every person and pet needs to get out.
“We hope to be evacuated before the rain starts. That way, we can prep campus,” Fullwood says. “We opened at 10 today, which is a little earlier than our normal operating hours and we’ll be here until the last animal is fostered.”
Cars of people lined up outside the shelter Sunday morning in hopes of fostering some of these pets during the storm.
In lieu of hurricane Debby, Dorchester Paws animal shelter pleaded for help as the kenels would be flooded. For the first time in 15 years, every single kennel was empty as all cats and dogs were either adopted or fostered.
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Fullwood says their team tries to match folks up with a pet to get the best fit, paying attention to certain qualities like a pet who might require certain medical needs or needs to be the only pet in the home.
The team will also provide families with any supplies, crates, food, litter, medications, bowls and toys.
Dorchester Paws is asking families to house their pets until Tropical Storm Debby has passed and until their facility is free of floodwater. Fullwood says it normally takes a full 24 hours after a storm ends for them to have the place clean. Dorchester Paws is expecting families to keep their pets until Friday or even through Sunday.
“We definitely ask that people evaluate their space and see if they can make room in their hearts and homes to come foster an animal during a storm,” Fullwood said. “I’m partial and think we have some of the best dogs and cats in the world here. So, it’s definitely helpful for people to come foster.”
Dorchester PAWS evacuated all of its cats and dogs Aug. 4 in anticipation of Debby’s arrival this week. The animal shelter put out a call for foster homes for animals to ride out the storm on Aug. 3. By late afternoon Aug. 4, all cats and dogs had a foster family for Debby, according to the shelter’s Facebook page.
The tropical storm should reach Florida and Georgia early Aug. 5 before slowing and possibly stalling over coastal South Carolina in the middle of the week.
In anticipation of the storm, Gov. Henry McMaster declared a State of Emergency on Aug. 4. Forecasters at the NWS put the coming storm in the same league as the October 2015 storm that was known as the “Thousand-Year Flood.”