When Behn Rudo heard of the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene, he immediately volunteered for a two-day mission to rescue 21 dogs from a shelter in Tennessee.
Rudo, who lives in Uptown, has been a volunteer at PAWS Chicago for over 12 years and said he was happy to help a shelter in need.
Rudo and fellow volunteer Cyd Kuck kicked off their mission early Wednesday morning. They left Chicago with a van full of supplies for the Appalachian Highlands Humane Society in Johnson City, Tennessee, more than 600 miles south from Chicago.
When they arrived, they unloaded their donations and loaded the van back up with the dogs before making the journey back home.
“They are in desperate need,” said Rudo, 58. “They were very appreciative and the people there are very foot-on-the-ground right now. They are focusing on rescuing animals displaced by the hurricane.”
PAWS Chicago reached out to the shelter, which was in the path of Hurricane Helene, and volunteered to take in dogs already in the shelter system to make room for their rescue efforts.
The missions help provide relief to local shelters and it gives them the ability to focus on reuniting displaced pets with their families, said Susanna Wickham, CEO at PAWS Chicago. “We have the facilities and the space to take in animals when there is a disaster.”
Though he needs a nap first, Rudo said he’s ready to take on another mission.
“I have time on my hands, and there’s always a need,” said Rudo. “It’s hard to find people to commit to a two- or even four-day trip. Cyd and I have done many trips together, and it’s helping out the community. This was a really uplifting mission, and we even had people on our way there who saw us at rest stops and gave us donations.”
Rudo and Kuck arrived at the PAWS Chicago Medical Center Thursday afternoon with a van full of dogs who will soon be ready for adoption.
All 21 dogs — including Jolene and her six 4-week-old puppies — will receive medical care and will be placed in foster homes until they are ready for adoption.
Jolene and her puppies were originally at a shelter in Erwin, Tennessee, that was destroyed during the hurricane and were taken in by the Appalachian Highlands Humane Society.
“We have gotten a great response from our foster community already,” said Wickham. “They’re ready to take these puppies in. But if more people are willing to sign up to foster, then that just means we can rescue even more animals from those disaster areas.”
Wickham said PAWS Chicago is in contact with a shelter in Florida that is in the path of Hurricane Milton and is preparing for the possibility of another rescue mission this weekend — this one including cats.