HELENA-WEST HELENA, Ark. — Hundreds of cats and dogs had been living in filth and in cages outside at the Humane Society of the Delta until it was shut down last week. The director of the shelter is charged with 285 counts of animal cruelty after the cats and dogs were found diseased and living in squalor.
On Tuesday, volunteers helped move animals to shelters across the Mid-South so they can find loving homes.
"Today is an incredible day for these animals because today is their new start," Kim Alboum, the shelter outreach director at the Bissell Pet Foundation, said.
Volunteers from organizations across the Mid-South helped with vaccinations, medical check-ups, and giving much-needed love to these pets.
Lisa Easton with Team Memphis Rescue and Support said the conditions were nightmarish for the animals before volunteers helped clean up the shelter.
"It’s a lot better," Easton said. "We have so many people in the community trying to reach out and help."
It's been an around-the-clock operation to help these animals get prepared to be transported. Alboum said the shelter had been overwhelmed with big dogs from across the country, which are often overlooked for adoption.
"It’s not so much about the number of pets that are in the shelter and being cared for in a shelter environment, it’s how they are being cared for," Alboum said. "They did not have the capacity of care to care for this volume of animals."
After surviving heartbreaking living conditions, these pets are excited about a caring home.
"They are some of the sweetest dogs," Easton said. "You can take one just like you’ve had it from when it was a puppy. They get out, they flourish, they want to be loved."
You can help these animals by adopting or fostering them. Donations for this operation can be made to the Bissell Pet Foundation.