We know stormtroopers as Darth Vader’s white-clad lackeys with a horrible aim, but to Florida’s Jacksonville Humane Society (JHS), Storm Troopers are heroes.
Storm Troopers are amazing volunteers who open their homes to the JHS’s adoptable cats and dogs to save them from dangerous weather.
“The JHS Storm Trooper program allows families to bring home dogs, cats, and kittens for sleepovers during severe weather.
Families serve as ‘Storm Troopers’ and host one of our adoptable dogs or cats for a temporary sleepover. This is a great opportunity for our pets to be with a family inside a warm home instead of in a shelter kennel during the winds and rain,” the shelter said of the program on their website.
In less than a week, about 250 dogs and cats moved out of the shelter and in with temporary foster families called Storm Troopers. They’ll take care of the pets till Friday once Dorian has dissipated, the shelter said.
“It just blows us away,” CEO Denise Deisler told CNN. “These are people who may have to evacuate themselves, and they’re taking a pet with them.”
According to CNN, in just three days, every animal sent to a safe foster home, a peaceful, caring environment to ride out the storm.
“You did it, Jacksonville! Thanks to you, nearly all of our pets will ride out Hurricane Dorian in loving Storm Trooper foster homes. Your response to our call for help was tremendous, and we can’t thank everyone enough for their generosity and support. We feel so incredibly lucky to be a part of such a kind, compassionate community,” the shelter wrote in a Sept. 2 Facebook post.
“Any animals who remain at the shelter (for example, those with special medical needs) will be cared for by JHS staff and all measures will be taken to ensure their safety and comfort,” JHS added.
“Spending time with families gives us a wealth of information that we cannot gather in the shelter. We often do not know if our pets are good with other animals, comfortable around children, enjoy going to car rides, like trips to the beach, are fully house-trained, etc. However – a foster family can provide that information! It helps the pets find new homes upon their return much faster than before,” JHS said of short-term foster situations.
Sometimes, storm Troopers adopt their furry stowaways after the storm passes, or find the shelter pet a permanent home with a family member or friend.
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