CLARKSVILLE, Ark — After Hurricane Ida slammed into Louisiana, Arkansans are stepping up to help. A Clarksville animal shelter drove to Louisiana to help.
Saturday at around one a board member with ‘Needy Paws’ in Clarksville saw a Louisiana animal shelter’s plea for help. That shelter in Mamou, Louisiana. About a three and a half-hour drive northwest of New Orleans
“The shelter at the time was in the direct path of Hurricane Ida,” Cory Maag, a member of the Board of Directors at ‘Needy Paws'. “We originally went down there to rescue 12 dogs, but we came back with 19.”
Answering the call to help, Maag and his team met in Russellville and left-right around 8:30 p.m. Saturday. Saving them from Ida’s wrath. However, along the way, they almost got stuck in the storm.
Meaghan Childers recalled the nerve-racking call she received from her husband, who was traveling with the rescue team. “My husband called it was like I have a quarter tank of gas in the next gas station then I’m finding is over 100 miles away.” She was still in Clarksville but quickly jumped into action to help. “I started googling in trying to get something in their path.”
The team arrived safely in Mamou at around 3:30 Sunday morning. They began driving back to Arkansas 90 minutes later. Missing the storm's landfall by hours.
“Tired was an understatement,” Maag said. “I’ve never been more tired in my entire life,” Maag continued.
They returned to Arkansas at noon Sunday. The trip in total was 17 hours. Maag says it was worth it. “It is something I would do it again in a heartbeat to help all of the other animals, and animal welfare personnel in the state of Louisiana. Or in harm’s way."
Maag says the dogs are doing fine but are still a bit shaken up. If anyone is looking to help, he says what is needed right now is Purina dog chow.
The animal shelter is also looking for volunteers to walk and play with the dogs and is accepting monetary donations.