Facebook Live from Nassau, Bahamas - Dogs being loaded onto trucks.
Big Dog Ranch Rescue in Loxahatchee has a history of going to places hit by hurricanes where animals are in need of human help.
The Bahamian capital of Nassau has become the home base for relief. It’s the drop off point for evacuating people and animals off the islands decimated after Hurricane Dorian.
The staff at Big Dog Ranch Rescue knew if they could evacuate dogs from the Bahamas Humane Society, it would make room for hurt, abandon and stray dogs coming in by boats and planes from harder hit areas like Grand Bahama, Marsh Harbor and Abaco.
On Saturday, Big Dog Ranch flew more than 50 crates and emergency pet supplies via cargo plane out of South Florida. Dozens of Humane Society volunteers and employees began tagging, bathing and de-matting dogs.
Administrator Fiona Moody, who’s become attached to the 50 dogs, says it’s bittersweet to see them go.
“We're a no kill shelter and some of these kids have been here with me for like three or four years," said Moody.
She says she’s happy to send them to South Florida to welcoming families with comfy beds and air conditioning.
Some dogs barely made it in from the harder hit areas, and at the last minute were loaded onto the truck headed for a yacht 10 minutes away. Now, they are headed for the Palm Beaches.
The yacht left Nassau on Saturday night, went to Freeport to drop off emergency animal supplies on Saturday and is expected to arrive in Riviera Beach Monday morning.
Many visitors to the WPTV Facebook page are asking how they can adopt these dogs. Big Dog Ranch Rescue says there is a mandatory quarantine period and then they will need to be nursed back to health.
But the organization points out, if you adopt one of the 500 dogs they have now, you’ll make room for the Bahamian dogs.
