Hurricane Ida caused destruction in the Gulf Coast and into the northeast. The impacts are being felt here in Central New York. Shelters are accepting displaced dogs from Mississippi.

Helping Hounds Dog Rescue in North Syracuse has welcomed dozens of dogs for Mississippi, Texas and other southern states. Some of it is routine, but Hurricane Ida exaggerated the issue. In late August, Helping Hounds welcomed 60 dogs in one afternoon.

The shelter was overflowing, and the volunteers and staff were overwhelmed. Welcoming so many dogs helped open up kennels in Mississippi and save dogs from being euthanized. After so much travel, the pups are often scared and nervous, but the staff are very welcoming.

“It doesn’t take them more than half an hour to warm up to us,” said Sara Dampf, an animal care staffer at Helping Hounds. “We give them breakfast. We cuddle on them and within hours they look like brand new dogs. They’re happy to be here. We put them into play groups, their tails are wagging. So it seems overwhelming at first, but really quickly we settle into a rhythm.”

The most helpful thing to do is adopt a dog. The shelter accepts donation of money, dog food, toys, leashes and collars, too. This Saturday is Pumpkins & Pooches, the rescue’s biggest event of the year. Stop by from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for food trucks, raffles, vendors and dogs.

“It is my favorite fundraiser that we do because lots of our adopted dogs get to come back and visit us dressed up in their costumes,” said Dampf. “We have a costume contest. We love catching up with them and hearing their new stories and hopefully some of the dogs that have been here for a little bit of time can get some showcase opportunities and hopefully they can go home, too.”