Answering the Call

Two MWI Animal Health territory managers describe the relief efforts in their areas following Hurricane Helene.

Rachel Briggs couldn’t believe the devastation she saw. Briggs, a territory manager for MWI Animal Health, said she watched in disbelief on September 27 when areas as close as 30 minutes to her home were destroyed by Hurricane Helene’s unexpected floodwaters.

She sent out an email first thing Monday morning to check in on those affected in her territory, ask if they had any immediate needs, and offered to take donations that anyone wanted to gather to help those directly affected in the region. “I felt it was the very least I could do since I’m traveling all over the area for work anyway,” she said.

Briggs’ clinics, their clients, and local shelters answered in a “wildly generous way,” she said. In just a few days, Briggs was able to help coordinate over a dozen donation collections, pick up several loads, and delivered an “unbelievable” five horse trailer load full of animal necessities to Sullivan County Animal Shelter, who was housing the majority of Unicoi County’s shelter animals and had plans in place to assist other affected shelters in the area as well. In total, her clinics donated nearly nine carloads and a full five horse trailer worth of goods and supplies.

“I was blessed with such an overwhelming response from clinics all over my territory that I couldn’t even make it to all of them before making the initial very large donation delivery!” she said. “It was a very heartwarming thing to be a part of in such a gut-wrenching time. People have been so generous to care for their neighbors, even if they are furry and four-legged!”

Rescue and aid in North Carolina

Kody Beust, an MWI territory manager, said the effects of Hurricane Helene were felt all throughout Western and Central North Carolina. First thing Saturday morning after the hurricane had passed, Beust sent an email to Mark Neff, the CEO of Forsyth Humane Society. “I thought if anyone knew how and what to do, it would be him.”

The Humane Society was collecting supplies and had already been in contact with the Bissel Foundation to charter a plane. The immediate request was to fly in supplies and fly out pets that were in the shelters in the Asheville Humane Society. With the dangers of flooding, no power or water as well as needing to clear the shelter of adoptable pets to make room for pets that were displaced during the hurricane, Forsyth Humane and Bissell jumped into action.

“I collected as many supplies as I could between myself, neighbors and local clinics and went straight to the Humane Society Monday morning,” Beust said. The donated supplies were loaded into three different transit vans and a convoy of vehicles and headed straight to the Winston-Salem airport. Over 1,000 pounds of supplies and numerous dog and cat kennels were quickly loaded into the “Race for Life Rescue” plane. The plane made a return trip to Winston-Salem later that afternoon with over 100 pets that were graciously taken by many different humane societies and organizations across North Carolina. Many round trips were made; within the first week of the mission over 400 pets were rescued from Western North Carolina and thousands of pounds of supplies (both human and animal) were donated to those in need.

“In addition to the small animal rescue efforts, I wanted to also aid in efforts for livestock/equine/large animal,” Beust said. Many farms were devastated in Western North Carolina. Farmers watched as their orchards washed away or their fencing was destroyed by flooding, landslides or fallen trees. Western North Carolina Livestock Center in Canton, North Carolina, was the hub for aiding farmers with rescue efforts.

“My sister and I collected many coats, feed and fencing supplies and drove to Canton to volunteer in those efforts,” Beust said. While there, they helped in organizing donations, distributing hay, grain and fencing to farmers in need.

“It was incredible to witness that the first request from farmers were for their animals; due to pastures being devastated, the main requests were for hay and fencing supplies,” he said. “While we were volunteering, trailers of hay were being brought in from other farmers in various states to aid in hurricane relief efforts. I am so thankful to be surrounded by other team members, manufacturers and a community that jumped in to help those in need.”