How far would you go to save a dog in need? How about almost a hundred dogs?
When we see dogs in trouble, a little compassion and help can go a long way. However, some people go above and beyond to make a difference for lots of dogs when adversity strikes.
A woman living in the Bahamas took the needs of almost 100 stray dogs to heart when she opened her home to them during Hurricane Dorian. Here’s her story.
Worst Hurricane To Hit The Bahamas
Towards the end of the summer, one of the most intense tropical cyclones on record struck the Bahamas. Hurricane Dorian is regarded as one of the worst natural disasters in the country’s history.
Dorian caused massive damage and left at least 70,000 people homeless with its unrelenting winds and seemingly never-ending rainfall.
Amid all of this chaos, Chella Phillips, a woman living in Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas, decided to open her home to 97 homeless and abandoned dogs.
She told news outlets in a phone interview, “It was either leave the dogs on the street to fend for themselves or do something about it. I just want these dogs to be safe. I could care less about the dog poop and pee in my house.”
Phillips continually updated the status of all the dogs in her home through her social media accounts. On Facebook she posted, “79 of them are inside my master bedroom. It has been insane since last night, poop, p**s nonstop but at least they are respecting my bed and nobody has dared to jump in.”
As the chaos of Hurricane Dorian ensued outside, Phillips tried her best to calm all 97 dogs inside her home by putting on music “in all directions of the house” and blasting air conditioning. Neighbors and strangers donated dog crates, which were helpful for the “scared ones and the sick ones,” she continued on Facebook.
Phillips is no stranger to stray dogs in need, as she runs a refuge for homeless and abandoned dogs, “The Voiceless Dogs of Nassau, Bahamas.” Since opening the refuge, Phillips has helped more than 1,000 stray dogs in need of a home or help.
Some Stressful Nights
It wasn’t all smooth sailing after Phillips took in all 97 stray dogs into her home. At one point, as she told news outlets, they had lost power at one point, and water began to seep in. Though, in the end, all inhabitants—human and dog—were okay.
Phillips also posted another update after spending most of one night combating serious flooding. All her television sets were “fried” from the lightning, and those televisions were helping ease some of the anxiety of the sick dogs. She also stated her brother slept only an hour as they both stayed up to keep the house dry and care for all the scared dogs.
Phillips started an online fundraiser for her refuge, which was unrelated to Hurricane Dorian at the time, and had a goal of $20,000. But because of her updates on her Facebook and her awe-inspiring compassion to save as many dogs as she could from the tropical storm, her fundraiser nearly tripled that with $73,000 in donations.
Many Facebook users from around the world have come together and offered their support and comments on Phillips’s posts.
One of those commenters wrote, “The world is behind you and your efforts.” We feel the same way!
What do you think of this woman who saved 97 stray dogs? Would you open your home to save as many dogs as you could? Let us know in the comments below!
