Bertito, one of the rescue dogs from Puerto Rico, likes to have his belly rubbed, according to a note found with him.
(Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue)
Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue
Beamer, one of the dogs rescued from Puerto Rico.
(Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue)
Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue
Bee, one of the dogs rescued from Puerto Rico.
(Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue)
Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue
Belo, one of the dogs rescued from Puerto Rico.
(Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue)
Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue
Bucky, one of the dogs rescued from Puerto Rico.
(Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue)
Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue
Chewie, one of the dogs rescued from Puerto Rico.
(Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue)
Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue
Chico, one of the dogs rescued from Puerto Rico.
(Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue)
Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue
Hazel, one of the dogs rescued from Puerto Rico.
(Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue)
Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue
Junior, one of the dogs rescued from Puerto Rico.
(Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue)
Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue
Kiany, one of the dogs rescued from Puerto Rico.
(Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue)
Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue
Kroos, one of the dogs rescued from Puerto Rico.
(Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue)
Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue
Lexus, one of the dogs rescued from Puerto Rico.
(Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue)
Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue
Lucky, one of the dogs rescued from Puerto Rico.
(Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue)
Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue
Maleo, one of the dogs rescued from Puerto Rico.
(Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue)
Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue
Mario, one of the dogs rescued from Puerto Rico.
(Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue)
Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue
Mercedes, one of the dogs rescued from Puerto Rico.
(Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue)
Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue
Mr. Tom, one of the dogs rescued from Puerto Rico.
(Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue)
Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue
Nemo, one of the dogs rescued from Puerto Rico.
(Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue)
Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue
Patricia, one of the dogs rescued from Puerto Rico.
(Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue)
Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue
Pekusa, one of the dogs rescued from Puerto Rico.
(Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue)
Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue
Roscoe, one of the dogs rescued from Puerto Rico.
(Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue)
Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue
Shaggy, one of the dogs rescued from Puerto Rico.
(Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue)
Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue
Sussi, one of the dogs rescued from Puerto Rico.
(Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue)
Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue
Suzie, one of the dogs rescued from Puerto Rico.
(Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue)
Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue
Tyson, one of the dogs rescued from Puerto Rico.
(Courtesy Last Chance Animal Rescue)
WASHINGTON — About 30 dogs from hurricane-devastated Puerto Rico have arrived in Maryland, and will likely go up for adoption in a few weeks.
On Tuesday, a driver from the nonprofit Last Chance Animal Rescue, in Waldorf, brought the dogs back from St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center, in New Jersey, which has taken in hundreds of dogs from the island since Hurricane Maria swept through.
“The thing that really struck me is that some of the dogs had notes in with them,” said Cindy Sharpley, the director of Last Chance.
“Some of (the notes) were from their owners, and some of them were from rescue groups who had taken them in off the street. And they’re asking for us to just contact them and let them know that their dogs are safe. It was pretty emotional, actually,” Sharpley added.
One note about a dog named Bertito describes him this way: “He likes to be on your lap and that someone rubs his belly.”
“If you don’t have a house and you don’t have electric and you don’t have a way to feed your kids, I guess at some point, the dog has to go,” Sharpley said. “Although I can’t imagine having to make that choice. That’s why this was kind of upsetting to read the notes.”
The dogs are expected to go up for adoption in early November, and Sharpley said her organization plans to return to New Jersey to pick up more.
“We’ve taken in 400 dogs from Harvey and Irma. So we just got most of those placed, and now we have all these dogs from Puerto Rico. I hope that the community has a little more left to give,” Sharpley said.
Get more information about Last Chance Animal Rescue’s work and adoption events on their Facebook page.
