The Brandywine Valley SPCA welcomed nearly 100 shelter animals from Florida on Saturday, just days after taking in 30 cats and kittens ahead of Hurricane Milton.
The emergency airlift, sponsored by Petco Love, transported cats, kittens and dogs from the Hillsborough Pet Resource Center and Friends of Strays in West Palm Beach. The flight landed at Chester County Airport before making another stop in New York.
The animals were already available for adoption before the storm. Their relocation is intended to free up space in Florida shelters, allowing them to focus on reuniting pets with their families and supporting damaged shelters in the area.
In a statement, Adam Lamb, CEO of Brandywine Valley SPCA, said, “Our everyday work doesn't stop when we step up to help during a natural disaster. We need our community to join us in this emergency situation by adopting and donating.”
Most of the animals were taken to the Brandywine Valley SPCA's West Chester and New Castle campuses, while the others were sent to partner shelters in Pennsylvania and New York. Some are available for immediate adoption beginning on Sunday, while others will be ready once they have been evaluated by a medical team.
To encourage adoptions, Brandywine Valley SPCA and partner shelters are waiving adoption fees for all large adult dogs and adult cats through Oct. 16. Dogs from the disaster areas will undergo a 14-day isolation period before adoption.
The Brandywine Valley SPCA, founded in 1929, is the first open-admission no-kill shelter in Pennsylvania and Delaware. It operates five adoption centers across the region.
Those interested in adopting or donating can find more information at https://bvspca.org/news-events-resources/Milton.
You can contact Anitra Johnson at ajohnson@delawareonline.com.
