Daytona shelter rescues animals after superstorm Sandy

By Katie Kustura STAFF WRITER
Published: Tuesday, November 13, 2012 at 8:05 p.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, November 13, 2012 at 8:05 p.m.

DAYTONA BEACH — A pickup full of puppies, a few kittens and a few full-grown dogs and cats from storm-wrecked neighborhoods in Staten Island, N.Y., have found a safe haven at the ARNI Foundation's shelter.

The 20-plus puppies are a mixed breed menagerie – a little Lab here, some shepherd there, maybe a touch of coonhound – running around and jumping and wagging in a big room at the shelter on Mason Avenue. Most will be ready for adoption Monday and have already had their initial shots and been dewormed, said ARNI vet tech Jessica Marcus.

The unexpected rescue started Thursday when ARNI founder Nikki Linn, her family and other volunteers took trucks and a U-Haul filled with supplies donated by Volusia County residents to the New Jersey shore, one of the areas hardest hit by superstorm Sandy.

"I felt like I was in New Orleans again," Linn said. "I was not expecting it to be that bad."

Linn said she was surprised when relief organizations in New Jersey turned them away, saying they had everything they needed and couldn't manage anymore stuff.

She said they arrived in Staten Island to a wealth of hugs, kisses and applause.

"It's not like we're in a hugely affluent area," Linn said of Volusia, where the 30,000 pounds of donated supplies came from. "People who donated really went out of their way, and I think it was hugely appreciated."

Linn said she and her group picked up 37 animals during the trip — some from Staten Island and others from a shelter in North Carolina that was overloaded with other northeast rescues — and took them back to ARNI.

She said animals from the South are usually sent to the North when storms ravage the Southern states, so it was strange to see the situation flipped around.

"The other shelters are so packed with housing everyone's animals," Linn said.

She said the rescued animals are a bit traumatized from the experience and long drive, so she hopes to find them good homes.

"I don't know what they've been through," Linn said. "It's been a long road for them."

Marcus said three adult dogs are ready for adoption now, and ARNI has already started treatment for their heartworms and will pay for the rest.

The adoption fee is $80, which includes spaying/neutering, all vaccines, heartworm tests and microchipping.


Puppies rescued from Staten Island, N.Y., after superstorm Sandy explore their new surroundings at the ARNI facility in Daytona Beach on Tuesday.

Puppies, a few kittens and a few full-grown dogs and cats from storm-wrecked neighborhoods in Staten Island, N.Y., have found a safe haven at the ARNI Foundation. | News-JournalOnline.com