NJ Donation Drives Collect Supplies For Furry Friends Displaced By Hurricane Florence
PARAMUS, N.J. (CBSNewYork) - Life saving help from the Tri-State area has flowed to sections of North Carolina ravaged by Hurricane Florence.
In New Jersey, several donation drives filled truck after truck with supplies for both people and pets displaced by the devastating storm. Video showing dogs and cats in rescuers' arms has moved many in our area to respond.
Concerned citizens, including kids, on Saturday loaded up on supplies like dog carriers, pet food, and more. They brought the goods to a collection bin set up outside the Pet Valu store in Paramus.
"We just want to do everything we can do help them," Woodcliff Lake resident Jordan Lewis said.
Other Pet Valu locations in Englewood, Emerson, Wayne, and West Caldwell were also taking donations to turn over to Pet ResQ, Inc. The group's founder, Robyn Urman, has helped furry survivors from ten previous storms.
She knows the drill, and began by giving early help to animal shelters in the south that she knew would be swamped with storm surge and pets.
"We try to clean out the shelters before this happens so the ones that are found to have a place to go," Urman said.
Organizers say the most appreciated donations include gift cards and gas cards to help keep delivery trucks moving and to allow volunteers to purchase heavy items that don't always travel well, like water, when they arrive.
"I have people in the Carolinas, Florida, Georgia, we just obtained a warehouse in Augusta, Georgia so now we have a place to put the items," Urman said.
Susan Kerby from Pet Valu said suffering after the storm will be eased by Saturday's efforts in New Jersey.
"So tragic we're doing it for the hurricane victims, but so rewarding that we're doing it for the hurricane victims," she said. "I'm proud of our community, of our customers, and the rescue based people."
The delivery trucks packed with the items collected Saturday and more could begin rolling south by midweek.