RedRover Responders at Lee County Domestic Animal Services Shelter
Fort Myers, Florida (October 5-11) – RedRover is on the ground in Lee County, Florida, assisting the ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) with the emergency sheltering and daily care of vulnerable animals impacted by Hurricane Ian.
RedRover has sent a staff Team Leader and five RedRover Responders volunteers to help care for dozens of dogs and cats over the next seven days at the Lee County Domestic Animal Services shelter. Volunteers from across North Carolina and Florida have come to help.
“We are grateful we can be on the ground helping the ASPCA and other disaster relief teams care for animals affected by Hurricane Ian,” said RedRover Director of Field Services, Beth Gammie. “Working together to help animals in crisis and support the shelter staff in their long days following a disaster is crucial to helping communities in their recovery from such devastation.”
With more than 4,600 trained volunteers in the United States and Canada, RedRover can deploy its volunteers quickly when communities become overburdened by a crisis involving a high number of animals. The volunteers provide a skilled and compassionate workforce which enables a jurisdiction to address local cases of animal cruelty and neglect and large-scale natural disasters.
“Millions of people have been significantly impacted by the destruction brought on by Hurricane Ian, which means pets and homeless animals are also feeling the devastating effects of this storm,” said Gina Manke-Zink, director of planning and resources for ASPCA National Field Response. “The ASPCA knows that pets are an important part of many people’s families. We want to do everything we can to provide impacted shelters and pet owners with the assistance they need during this difficult time, and we couldn’t do that without the critical support of response partners like RedRover.”
In its 35-year history, RedRover has responded to more than 250 natural disasters and other crises around the country including Hurricanes Katrina and Harvey, the recent Virginia lab beagle rescue, Northern California wildfires, Superstorm Sandy, and many more.
Ways to Help
- Donate to RedRover’s Emergency Response Fund at org/Responders
- Learn how to become a RedRover Responders volunteer at org/Volunteer
- Share our list of animal resources for those displaced by Hurricane Ian
About RedRover
Since 1987, RedRover has focused on bringing animals out of crisis and strengthening the human-animal bond through emergency sheltering, disaster relief services, financial assistance and humane education. RedRover is a founding member of the National Animal Rescue and Sheltering Coalition (NARSC), established after Hurricane Katrina’s devastating impact to more people and animals than any other storm in the history of the United States. RedRover has earned a coveted 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator. To learn how RedRover is creating a more compassionate world, visit RedRover.org.
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Contact:
Sheri Madsen, smadsen@redrover.org, 916-600-8157