Foster homes needed for Sandy pet victims

NASSAU COUNTY (WABC) -- Some of the forgotten victims from the devastation of Superstorm Sandy are dogs and cats.

There's a new effort to find temporary foster homes for pets whose owners still don't have homes of their own.

It's been a long, tough couple of months for Stephen Angel and his dog Blue.

Superstorm Sandy destroyed their house, and as the family has waited for their insurance to kick in, Blue just had nowhere to go.

"If it wasn't for this place, I don't know what we would do it would be very, very, difficult," said Stephen Angel, dog owner.

Ever since then, Blue has been among hundreds of family pets, holing up at a makeshift animal shelter run by the Nassau County SPCA, meant as a safe place where homeowners could leave their best friends, while they pick up the pieces.

"It's just like a child, I mean people are pet owners, they're part of the family. If they had to put a child here and live in this enivornment they have no choice," said Gary Rodgers, SPCA Chief.

SPCA Chief Gary Rodgers put the shelter on a county basketball court near Mitchell Field. Since Eyewitness News last visited in November, most pets have now gone home, and volunteers have vanished, leaving a tiny group of exhausted workers, caring for some very sad looking animals.

There are 26 dogs and 50 cats still in the shelter. Rodgers wants to place them in foster homes across Nassau County.

"They're not just in these crates all day long, they're out playing they're given stuff, but it's time. It's time for everybody to move back on with their lives," Rodgers said.

Only a small handful of these adoptions are permanent, the rest are temporary foster arrangements as these animals' families continue to get back on their feet.

The SPCA is looking right now for 100 people who are willing to help. If you are one of them please contact:

Nassau SPCA
516-272-0017
emergencypetshelter@gmail.com

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