SPRINGFIELD — Two days, 1,400 miles and 11 kittens — Ashley Loehn became a hero over the weekend.
The animal lover and Dakin Humane Society adoption counselor drove from Louisiana back to Springfield on Sunday and Monday with 11 kittens in tow, providing some much-needed relief to an overcrowded animal shelter.
Acadiana Animal Aid in Carencro, Louisiana, is scrambling to care for hundreds of animals displaced by catastrophic flooding that has ravaged that state in the last two weeks.
And according to Loehn, of Florence, the kitten transfer was the least she could do for the shelter.
“They’re getting animals by the truckload. It’s been 60 per day since the flooding began. The numbers are totally crazy, and they were so thankful we could take 11,” Loehn said. “It’s a network. We like to help shelters if we can.”
Louisiana is under water. Unprecedented rainfall and catastrophic flooding that began Aug. 11 have left 13 dead and thousands displaced, the New Orleans Advocate reports. Two weeks after the initial rains, an estimated 3,000 people remain in emergency shelters.
The Red Cross deemed the calamity the worst natural disaster in the United States since Hurricane Sandy four years ago, and President Barack Obama has declared at least 20 parishes as disaster areas, according to a CNN report.
With an estimated 140,000 homes affected, animal shelters are experiencing a flood of their own: displaced pets.
Acadiana Animal Aid sent out a plea via email last week that reached the inbox of Karina King, Dakin Humane Society’s director of operations. The Louisiana shelter was swamped with animals and needed to pass along healthy animals to other shelters to make room for pets pouring in from the flood.
“We received an email from a group connecting shelters outside the flooding to shelters inside the flooding, so people could take the animals,” King said. “It’s something that happens when a big disaster strikes.”
When she heard about the plea for help Thursday, Loehn had an idea. She was already planning to fly to Louisiana and drive back with her sister Shalane, a lawyer moving from New Orleans back to Massachusetts. She reached out to King, offering to transport animals during her trip.
For Loehn, the tragedy in Louisiana brings back memories of the 2011 tornado that tore through Springfield. During that disaster, Dakin Humane Society was overwhelmed with animals in need. Staff took to the streets, going out and collecting lost pets. Within a day, neighboring shelters had collected Dakin’s healthy animals to make room for strays coming in, Loehn said.
“We’ve been on both sides of the coin,” King said. “So when we get a chance to help, we’re glad to do that.”
With her offer lingering, Loehn flew to Louisiana the following day. By Friday night, it was decided. Loehn would receive 11 kittens from a volunteer at the shelter, three hours away from her sister’s apartment. Loehn drove two hours to meet the volunteer in a supermarket parking lot.
“I got a call from Karina, and I figured out how many carriers I could fit in my sister’s car. We decided on a humane number of animals I could house in carriers for the journey,” Loehn said. “It was something I didn’t exactly tell my family.”
With Shalane’s belongings packed away in a U-Haul truck, the women fit five cat carriers in the back seat of the car. Each held a few kittens or cats with enough room for food, water and a litter box. Shalane’s two cats were also taking the journey.
“We had my sister’s two cats and the 11 kittens,” Loehn said with a laugh. “We had 13 cats and two people in a Toyota Camry.”
The women embarked on the 1,400-mile journey through 12 states, trailed by their mother, Susan Loehn, and their uncle Jeff, who was driving the moving truck.
Loehn drove the car full of kittens while her mother and sister took turns between the car and truck, wary of the stench that comes with more than a dozen feline passengers.
“The smell was gross. You can imagine the amount of poop 11 kittens generate in a day,” Loehn said with a chuckle. “I still have to de-smell my sister’s car.”
After driving for 12 hours, the travelers selected a Virginia hotel at which to spend the night. Loehn told the concierge she had three cats with her and successfully sneaked all 13 cats into the room using three carriers.
The group completed the journey Monday at 9 p.m. Dakin had rooms ready for the wayward kittens, where they are currently undergoing evaluations in quarantine.
According to Loehn, it is unclear when the kittens will be available for adoption. After being quarantined and undergoing health evaluations, they will be spayed or neutered, vaccinated and equipped with microchips before heading to new homes. Interested animal lovers can check the Dakin Humane Society website, Loehn said. Postings are updated in real time.
King estimates the kittens will be available in about two weeks because one has cold symptoms like sneezing and watery eyes. But with 80 cats and kittens available between Dakin’s locations in Springfield and Leverett, King said there is no need to wait.
“People should come on down,” King said. “We have plenty of local animals that really need homes.”
Carmine DiCenso, the executive director at Dakin, applauded Loehn’s efforts.
“It’s great we are in a position where we can help animals that far away,” DiCenso said. “What Ashley did shows the dedication of the staff and volunteers we have at Dakin who would do just about anything to help an animal in need.”
A spokesperson for Acadiana Animal Aid was not available Wednesday afternoon. According to a post on the shelter’s Facebook page, phone lines and the internet were down in that area all day.
After working at the Dakin Humane Society for eight years, Loehn’s last day will be Sept. 1 because she is moving to Martha’s Vineyard.
“I’m not sure what I’ll do for a job yet, but I know I’ll have to work with animals,” Loehn said. “It’s funny to think these kittens will probably be adopted out after I’m gone.”