CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Furever United, the animal rescue group, has arrived back to the Coastal Bend after helping people and pets affected by Hurricane Ida.
“I got more hugs, more thank you’s, more happy tears than I've ever seen in my life,” said volunteer Richard Meiggs.
Furever United volunteers drove 545 miles to help those in desperate need.
“No roofs on houses, no power no gasoline,” said Meiggs.
Director of Furever United, Connie Barid says when they arrived, they had to spring into action immediately.
“We didn’t even unload our truck right off the bat we immediately just jumped in, there were a few volunteers there we tried to give them breaks because they had been there for days," said Barid.
The group helped the Cajun Army clean up debris and unloading supplies with the U.S. Army. Along the way, they met people with a story to share.
“One lady had a cat that she had found two weeks before the storm and that cat went into labor during the storm," said Barid.
With a truck filled with supplies, volunteers worked night and day for four days.
“The smiles and the shock when you say I have animal food, they say oh my goodness you have animal food! My dog is small, my dogs a puppy,” said Barid.
Now Furever United says it will keep doing its part by preparing to lend a helping hand.
“There is other storms that may happen this year so being ready for it and to be honest we might get hit by one,” said Barid.
While they were out there, Furever United did see some displaced pets but volunteers said local animal control officers must hold them for 30 days until someone can claim them.
