The Brandywine Valley SPCA (BVSPCA)  has opened the doors of its new Rescue and Rehab shelter in Georgetown, Delaware early, to welcome 102 cats that were airlifted from shelters in the Florida panhandle hit by the devastating Hurricane Michael last week.

All of these felines were already in shelters awaiting adoption before the storm hit — many coming from a shelter that had to be evacuated on the night of the hurricane.

Moving these homeless cats and kittens away from storm-struck areas gives damaged shelters the chance to recover and rebuild while clearing space for cats who do have a home, but must wait until they can be reunited with their families in the local area.

Coordinated by the Humane Society of Jacksonville in Florida and flown 1000 miles by the incredible Wings of Rescue, these beautiful cats will be dispersed throughout shelters in the Northeast for adoption in the coming weeks.

It’s a big job for BVSPCA, who must give all the animals thorough medical checks, vaccinations, microchips, and desexing operations before moving them on; but the organization had plenty of practice with Hurricane Florence earlier this month, rescuing an amazing 239 animals.

Rescue organizations say that if you’ve been thinking of adopting a new furry family member, now is the perfect time to do it, with hundreds more displaced animals likely to be in need of homes following these tragic natural disasters.

“You are saving two lives when you adopt,” said Linda Torelli, spokeswoman for BVSPCA. “The one of the pet you’ve adopted and the one of the space you have created by adopting them.”