What to Know
- Puerto Ricans displaced by Hurricane Maria were reunited with their pets on Saturday.
- Humane Society of Broward County and the JPB Foundation helped organize the reunions.
- A group of dogs and cats were placed on a plane Saturday and were taken to South Florida to be reunited with their owners.
Hurricane Maria displaced Puerto Ricans in South Florida, but some of their pets were left behind on the island.
On Saturday, a special surprise as owners were reunited with their furry friends for the first time since the storm.
“I am so happy. I haven’t seen him in the longest time and he’s like a big part of my family and it just wasn’t the same without him,” said Gia Rodriguez, who was reunited with her dog Saturday.
Gia and her family are back to walking their pooch Punto, but it’s been a while. Hurricane Maria’s wrath kept them apart – forcing them and others to leave behind their beloved dogs and kitties on the island.
“I was really sad because we thought we were going to come back. But then when we knew we were not going to come back, I was just really upset and I didn’t know what was going to happen with him. I knew I needed him in my life,” said Rodriguez.
But with the help of the Humane Society of Broward County and the JPB Foundation, a group of felines and canines hopped on a plane from Puerto Rico to Ft. Lauderdale on Saturday.
Local
“We are very happy to be reuniting approximately 13 dogs, three cats and one parakeet with their owners. These are all pets that were from Puerto Rico and their family had to leave the island and unfortunately they weren’t able to arrange transportation when they left the island to take their pets with them,” said Cherie Wachter of the Humane Society.
“He’s been with me almost my whole life, since I was like four years old. So I’m just happy and I’m so excited to take him home,” said Rodriguez. “We’re just really thankful that they brought him over here.”
