Military tents are pitched and ready to receive storm refugees in a lot behind the Humane Educational Society of Chattanooga, but instead of cots, 60 large metal dog crates atop wooden pallets line the ground.
Volunteers and employees at the Humane Society spent the day preparing for the weekend arrival of up to 100 cats and dogs previously housed in shelters in Texas and Louisiana and displaced by Hurricane Harvey.
“When animals come in, we can get them examined, get whatever vaccines and any kind of medical needs they require and then use this as a hub to adopt out locally and transport to other parts of the country,” said Bob Citrullo, executive director of the Humane Educational Society.
Citrullo said he dealt with a similar situation when he worked with an organization in Arizona and a wildfire forced animals to be relocated. That experience, along with his time in the military, gave him the idea to temporarily house animals in tents, which he borrowed from the National Guard.
“They were very helpful to lend us the tents for as long as we needed,” Citrullo said.