Community Steps Up After Truck Hits Animal Shelter

Within hours, foster homes were found for 146 dogs
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Mar 28, 2024 4:24 AM CDT
Animal Shelter Issues Plea for Help After Truck Hits Building
In this photo provided by WCHS-TV, a rental truck is shown after it drove into the side of an animal shelter Wednesday, March 27, 2024, in Charleston, West Virginia.   (Matt Durrett/WCHS-TV via AP)

An animal shelter in Charleston, West Virginia, put out an urgent plea for people to foster its dogs after a vehicle plowed into its building Wednesday, shelter officials said. The Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association said on Facebook that a rental truck struck the building as workers were cleaning, the AP reports. One dog's leg was injured. A photo in the post showed the vehicle wedged into the side of the building. The truck "is the only thing holding this side of the building up—which creates a very serious safety hazard for the dogs in our kennels," the shelter said.

Human Association Community Engagement Manager Angie Gillenwater told the Charleston Gazette-Mail that the truck was driven by a man who came to the shelter to reclaim his pet. Power to the facility was shut off afterward as a precaution, she said. Gillenwater said the shelter was at a "state of emergency" capacity at the time. The shelter asked people to take dogs until permanent homes for them can be found. It also was accepting donations.

The Facebook post was shared more than 6,000 times. Some people commented that they were on their way to the shelter to foster a dog. In an update later Wednesday, the shelter said 146 dogs had been moved to foster care in the space of a few hours and just 12 were left in the building. "To everyone who rushed to help our animals, we cannot thank you enough for your kindness. It has been a whirlwind and we are still in shock," the shelter said. "But the animals are safe, and that's what matters."

(More animal shelters stories.)

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