Veteran volunteer group helps rescue animals after Florence

Our pets are a part of our families and they need rescuing right now too.

A volunteer group called Task Force 75 came to our area days before Hurricane Florence, prepared to assist with animal rescues after the storm.

Since Florence left our area, this volunteer group estimates they have made over 50 animal rescues.

The group works with local law enforcement to go to houses of people who evacuated and left their pets to give them food and water.

They also rescue abandoned pets and take them into the New Hanover County Humane Society Shelter or the New Hanover County Animal Shelter.

“We had three chows that we had to [rescue] from a house,” Eric Carlson, President of Task Force 75 said. “A gentleman evacuated. He called the police and said ‘My dogs have been there since we left. I have no way to get back in. Can you please kick my door in – whatever you have to do to get my dogs out.’ So we went in with the sheriff’s deputies. Extricated the dogs. Brought them back here. And they’re over right now at animal control. The county is going to hold them until the owner gets back.”

Being a group of volunteers, their members are not getting paid so they’re grateful for the support and positive reinforcement they receive from the community regarding their efforts to help the animals.

“I’m not glad because of the circumstances,” Carlson said. “But it helps us being down here to help other people so this is kind of why we do this. It’s an all-volunteer group. No one gets paid. It’s always been off everybody’s own dime. People have supported us through Facebook and go fund me and the support has been unbelievable.”

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