How One Man Saved Hundreds of Animals HURRICANE HERO TONY ALSUP
Florida as Hurricane Harvey pounded the Gulf Coast. When he finished there, his mission shifted to helping animals in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria ravaged the island. It’s said that character is defined by the way someone acts when no one is watching. Many people heard of Alsup’s bravery after the devastation of Florence, but as news stories turned to sports, politics and business, America slowly moved on. Victims of the hurricane who lacked supplies received less national attention, but more than a month later, Alsup’s commitment to the cause was as strong as ever. Living out of the back of the bus for weeks, he drove pets out of the persistent flooding and convoyed shipments of desperately needed supplies to the coastal Carolina towns. You can follow Tony’s commitment on Facebook. He’s not asking for money or fame; he’s just a person with a heart to serve, using social media to promote awareness about those who desperately need our help. If you’re wondering what drives such a person, you can find it written at the bottom of every update he posts: “Love y’all, mean it.”
In the wake of destruction, it’s easy to focus on self-preservation.
When animal-shelter authorities found Isaac — a blind husky — meandering through the streets of Fontana, California, they immediately noticed something curious. It wasn’t that the pup was blind. It was that alongside him, Isaac had a faithful companion, Isabella — a Chihuahua-terrier mix. She was serving as Isaac’s guide dog, or rather, his unofficial Seeing Eye dog. How the two met and developed their unique and remarkable relationship is a complete mystery, but one thing was clear: These two could never be separated. They were the definition of soul mates. When they walked together, Isabella took the lead. Whenever Isaac fell behind, Isabella would patiently wait for her companion to catch up. Or if Isaac couldn’t find his way, Isabella would go to Isaac and let him know he was not alone through smell, touch and sound. Not long after Isaac and Isabella were found, they were brought to a local shelter in Fontana. Unfortunately, due to overcrowding and extremely limited resources, the After all, fight-or-flight instincts are hard-wired into our brains so that we can survive dangerous situations. But while fear drives the actions of many in times of chaos, there are a few who find greater strength in compassion. Tony Alsup considered the potential devastation of Hurricane Florence as he sat comfortably in his home in Greeneville, Tennessee. Rather than sit back and watch, the truck driver by trade packed up an out-of-commission school bus he’d bought and set off to South Carolina with one goal in mind: to save as many animals as possible. Stopping by every shelter he found along the coast, Alsup rescued over 60 cats and dogs in both North and South Carolina and took them to Foley, Alabama. The heroic efforts of Alsup saved the lives of many animals, but it wasn’t the first time he’d rushed into danger for a good cause. He’d originally purchased the school bus, which he turned into Noah’s Ark last year, to save animals in Texas and
The Story of 2 Special Dogs INSEPARABLE SOUL MATES
two pups were put on the schedule to be euthanized. Knowing they only had days to live, the shelter put the story of the dynamic doggy duo on their Facebook page.
The shelter hoped a caring family would see the dogs before time ran out. But no one with the right home conditions came forward. The shelter was at a loss until someone from the Stand Foundation reached out. The Stand Foundation is a nonprofit dedicated to animal rescue, and they were more than willing to take the pair. With Isaac and Isabella in the care of the Stand Foundation, the organization put their resources to work to find the pups a new owner. Eventually, a new home was found and the two best friends went on to live a life full of love and continued companionship.
2 www.OctoberKitchen.com
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