The Jacksonville Humane Society announced it will be evacuating around 100 cats and kittens to the Brandywine Valley Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Delaware in response to Hurricane Michael.
The cats will be flown by Wings of Rescue, and the flight is possible thanks to Jacksonville Jaguars' Malik Jackson, who reached out to JHS and offered help from his foundation, Malik's Gifts.
“Malik supports animal welfare in the communities where he lives and works,” said JHS CEO Denise Deisler. “We are so grateful; without his support, this would not be possible.”
JHS has been designated as a Hurricane Michael hub and will be evacuating the cats and kittens to make room for more animals coming in from areas in the Florida Panhandle impacted by Hurricane Michael.
“By serving as hubs, we are able to respond to the disaster in a fashion that does not affect our local shelters negatively,” said Deisler. “We believe partnerships and collaboration save lives, and this is the perfect example of that. By leveraging relationships in a cooperative manner, we make greater impact. We are better together.”
JHS says they are prepared to make a second flight depending on the needs of animals in the areas impacted by Hurricane Michael.