Far from the flood-ravaged neighborhoods of south Texas sits New Hope Animal Shelter in Henderson.

Another stop along the way for dogs searching for a forever home…but a step off the beaten path for some.

Paula Hawkins and her staff are helping a shelter in Abilene, Texas overwhelmed with animals displaced by Hurricane Harvey.

“These shelters already had animals at their place, so they’re asking us to reach out and help take all those animals to make room for the flood victims’ pets,” says Hawkins.

Of the 10 dogs that came in from the Abilene shelter, three have already been adopted out, and the staff at New Hope says they’ll soon be opening their door to more in the coming weeks.

“They’re processing so many homeless animals that’ve been rescued from the flood,” Hawkins said.

It’s a lot of extra work, but the staff at New Hope says they’re prepared to take care of every dog and cat that comes in to their shelter.

“We have our own dogs and cats here that are in trouble sometimes so we’re not going to push them away,” Hawkins said. “We’re going to continue to serve them and get our dogs adopted the same way because they’re just as important.”

In the meantime, the dogs that will soon be coming to Henderson will be looking forward to a second chance they might not otherwise have gotten if they hadn’t been rescued hundreds of miles away.

A website will soon be set up with a database to help those dogs finish a long, scary, and uncertain journey.

“They want to keep them as close to home as possible so they can be reunited with their owners,” says Hawkins.

For information on how to volunteer with New Hope or if you’re interested in adopting, CLICK HERE.

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