Rescue mission after Hurricane Helene saved four little puppies from danger.
Volunteers from the nonprofit organization Paws of War came to help in some of the hardest-hit places in North Carolina after the hurricane.
Niki Dawson, director of animal welfare and logistics at Paws of War, was one of the volunteers helping people and their animals.
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In an interview with Fox News Digital, Dawson said many people who evacuated took their pets with them.
The four rescued puppies, named Nova, Capone, Latte and Cosmo, are approximately 8 weeks old. (The Paws of War)
But many people, especially in smaller areas of North Carolina where flooding was extreme, were caught off guard – and “few” pets and their owners survived, Dawson said.
“The animals we saw were with their family members,” she said. “So we started with search and rescue and started distributing to people who were sheltering in place and whose homes were uninhabitable and they were just stuck there.”
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“We were just trying to provide them with human supplies and animals.”
This included one family in Asheville, North Carolina, who had saved a dog eight weeks earlier and the puppies were born the next day.
A North Carolina mother dog protects her family, including puppies and people. (The Paws of War)
After Hurricane Dawson hit, she reported that the family “really struggled to support her” and her shepherd mix puppies.
“They fed her chicken and steak, and she lived on human food,” she said.
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“She was very, very thin and really couldn't support all the puppies, and herself, with the food they were able to provide her.”
Paws of War volunteers were able to provide the family with gas, pet food and other supplies. They also planned to take four puppies at the family's request.
The owners, who have military roots, were “extremely grateful” that their puppies went to good homes. (The Paws of War)
Dawson explained to the family that the puppies would be taken to a safe place and new home for military veterans and first responders.
“They were incredibly grateful,” she said. “(The owner's) exact words were, 'That tickles my heart,' because his grandfather was a Vietnam veteran and his dad was a veteran, too.”
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“I think it really gave him a sense of comfort and even pride,” she added.
Dawson said the puppies' mother was very friendly with volunteers, although they were told she had previously been “very defensive” towards strangers.
“She ran up to us, kissed us and let us pet her,” she said. “And the owner said she had never done this to anyone before.”
“So we kind of patted ourselves on the back and said, 'She knows we're going to take very good care of her puppies and give them a great home.'”
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Dawson described feeling “very grateful” that she and her team were able to help by continuing to provide relief in the area.
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Volunteers plan to provide the same assistance to animals and people affected by Hurricane Milton.
