On October 29, the largest Atlantic Hurricane on record made landfall near Atlantic City, NJ and continued to wreak havoc on the East Coast over the next 48 hours. The aftermath of Sandy revealed complete devastation in some communities, and the rest of the country watched as clean-up and recovery began by residents who went days without power and heat.

The destruction left in the wake of Sandy is what brought a young, handsome, black lab named Bentley to Monmouth County SPCA (MC SPCA), located in Eatontown, NJ. His family became homeless after their house was condemned due to a cracked foundation, a result of storm flooding. At just nine months old, Bentley is now being provided with shelter in hopes that his owners can find pet friendly housing so he can be reunited with his family. His story is sadly one that is occurring all along the Eastern Seaboard.

It is because of stories like Bentley’s that the BISSELL Pet Foundation (BPF) has responded with emergency grant funding to MC SPCA. BPF recognizes the strain placed on animal welfare organizations following natural disasters due to the influx of displaced pets, which is why BPF is providing monetary support to help provide food for the many homeless animals in their care.

The staff and volunteers at MC SPCA have been working tirelessly, outreaching to pet owners to supply food and supplies to families in need. To better serve their community, they even converted their Maureen O’Brien Cats and Dogs Thrift Store into the Pet Pantry Emergency Pet Supply Distribution Center, which has been open to the public seven days a week since the storm. In addition, they continue to provide care for homeless pets at their facility.

BPF has previously supported MC SPCA through a grant award to supply free microchips to the public. Having a pet microchipped is immensely important following natural disasters. For families that have lost so much, BPF is hopeful this grant may have helped in getting pets back to their families faster.