Philly-area animal shelters have begun welcoming dogs and cats from states hit by Hurricane Idalia.

On Thursday, the Brandywine Valley SPCA livestreamed from the Brandywine Regional Airport as staffers collected over 70 dogs, cats, puppies and kittens from a plane piloted by Wings of Rescue, a nonprofit that flies animals out of disaster areas. The animals were transported from Florida shelters before the hurricane made landfall in order to make space for newly displaced pets.

The animals have been examined and are now available for adoption at the Brandywine SPCA shelter in West Chester.

A second flight is expected to land in Georgetown, Delaware on Friday. Those animals — arriving from shelters in Jacksonville, Florida and Columbia County, Georgia — will be available for adoption as soon as Sunday, the rescue said on Facebook.

Saved Me, headquartered at 2609 Federal St., also announced a “freedom ride” on Thursday for six dogs from a partner shelter in South Carolina, which was flooded by the hurricane.

Both animal rescues are soliciting donations to support their efforts. 

Hurricane Idalia hit Florida on Wednesday morning with 125 mph winds. That made it a Category 3 hurricane, indicating a major storm capable of uprooting trees, tearing off roofs and knocking out power for weeks. As Hurricane Idalia continued into Georgia and the Carolinas, it was downgraded to a tropical storm before moving over the Atlantic Ocean. While the extent of the damage is unclear as of Friday afternoon, the current death toll is three.

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