PAWS volunteers head to Florida's Gulf Coast to rescue abandoned pets

CHICAGO (CBS) -- As people begin to pick up the pieces after the devastation left by Hurricane Ian, a Chicago organization heads to Florida to rescue dozens of animals left homeless after the storm.

PAWS Chicago said volunteers from Chicago will rescue and bring back 42 homeless pets from Florida's Gulf Coast. The organization will partner with the Humane Society Naples and the Gulf Coast Humane Society in Fort Myers.

Rescue vans will leave the PAWS Chicago Medical Center and make a 21-hour drive to Humane Society Naples. The animals and volunteers are expected to return to Chicago on Monday.

There are way to help PAWS Chicago with the new arrivals

• You can drop off emergency supplies from 1:00 to - 6:00 p.m. at the PAWS Chicago Medical Center, at 3516 W 26th Street.  Some of the needed supplies include: bottled water, pet food, towels, cleaning supplies, leashes, and collars. The items will be taken by van Friday night as volunteers drive to Florida to pick up pets.
• Make a donation to support the costs associated with sending the PAWS volunteer vans to Florida for the rescue, and then rehabilitating the pets at the PAWS Chicago Medical Center. Each pet will be given medical care, vaccinations, microchips, spay/neuter surgeries and other treatments as needed. 
• Sign up to foster a pet. Pets recovering from trauma and health issues are more likely to thrive in a home environment after receiving medical care from PAWS. Putting pets in foster makes room in our hospital for the next patient.
• Consider adopting a homeless pet. Every adopted pet makes room at PAWS for the next transport serving an area of need.

"As a No Kill organization, we are committed to the life and long-term needs of every pet we rescue," said Paula Fasseas, founder and chairman of PAWS Chicago. "We built our Medical Center with the intention of using it in times of crisis just like this, in order to give helpless pets the sophisticated level of care they deserve." 

According to PAWS Chicago, once the animals are medically cleared, they'll be available for adoption at PAWS Chicago's Lincoln Park Adoption Center.

In:
• Hurricane Ian
• Pets
• Animal Rescue